Ramblings of Another West
by Useless19
Summary: In another part of the multiverse there aren't superheroes. Or supervillains. This isn't a Flash or Captain Cold, but there is Wally and Len. A collection of moments in an alternate universe where powers don't exist.
1. Ramblings of Another West

**Ramblings of Another West** - _Pretty much what the title says. Set somewhere in the time between Ignition and Rogue War._

_Posted to the lj community flash_rogues too._

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><p>I don't want to do this.<p>

None of them seem to realise that. They don't understand. Can't understand.

I know you've not exactly had the easiest time of things, and I've got a good Samaritan streak, but I never would've pictured something like this. It's all a bit egotistical for my tastes. Heh. I'll have to remember to tell Linda that, she's always accusing me of having a big ego.

Though by the looks of things, mine's nothing like the guy whose boots I'm trying to fill.

It hurts, doing this to your best friend. And you are my best friend, even if you'd call me mushy for saying it and cuff me over the back of the head in that way that means you totally agree, though you'd never actually say the words yourself.

Man, the world's crazy here. I don't know how Keystone or Central are anything more than a flat landscape. Must be really easy to get a job as a builder around here.

Superheroes are real.

So are supervillains.

I keep wanting to laugh whenever I think of that, or when some guy dressed as a bat starts lecturing me, or when I see half the costumes (and the other half wouldn't look out of place at a strip-bar), or...

Well, it's crazy.

You remember that artist the cops hired for that weird Manga case? The one I hated, but now he's on my Christmas card list? He's here. He's got a ring that can create whatever he thinks up out of green light. I'll have to tell Kyle when I get back, he might find a niche market or something.

Or just laugh himself silly.

So yeah, apparently I'm some big-shot hero for the twin cities. _The Flash_. Sounds awful. At least it's a legacy name and I, well, the _other_ me, didn't think it up himself. And the costume...

Is it actually possible to feel more self-conscious wearing something that only shows your chin than it is to be completely naked?

Linda's still Linda, thankfully. If she hadn't been than I would've gone spare. Though she isn't pregnant and there isn't a little Jai toddling around. I made the mistake of asking about it and heard a horrible tale about some guy named Zoom and a miscarriage. She isn't exactly my wife and I still want to hurt the bastard.

That unfortunately leads me onto you.

You've never been shy about your prison time. I think you were trying to scare me off, that or make sure I never let someone I didn't know crash on my couch again. I still hold that you should be thanking me for not letting you drown in the gutter, the way it was coming down that night.

Plus, I'm never sensible when I'm drunk. You know that. That's why you insist on keeping me company when I head to the pub and really need it, so I don't end up trying to rescue more drunks.

According to you, I once tried to hug a guy twice my size because I thought he needed to calm down.

Given the black eye I woke up with, I believe you.

Odd to know in this world you're a professional criminal. I'm not sure 'supervillain' really fits, since that puts me in mind of world-domination or something like that. You're in a band of guys that steal money for the most part. I've heard worse things too, but it's hard to link them up.

Oh, I will never refer to Axel as a brat again. He's here too, part of that group, about five years older and an absolute nightmare. He calls himself Trickster. Don't think he's your kid here – I got _looks_ when I asked.

Evan too. He's about twice as old and twice the accent. Not likely to be your flesh and blood either. I can't match up what he's done here to what he's like back home.

Probably for the best.

Haven't mentioned what made me a superhero, have I? Some accident in Uncle Barry's lab gave me superspeed. He had it too, until he died saving the universe. Barry 'perpetually late' Allen was the fastest man alive before me.

That's surreal on a whole other level.

You two still didn't like each other here. Thank god for multiversal constants. In fact, if you strip away all the aliens and spandex and the constant fighting, there are a lot more similarities than when you first looked. I'm still a mechanic, just it's more of a side thing for him. Linda's still a reporter and my wife.

It's still weird being able to think of all this during the time it takes for a punch to connect.

Yeah, I'm in the middle of a fight.

Against you – this version of you.

And as much as I hate to say this, I hope I win.

I've got to win.

I don't want to do this.

Sorry Len.


	2. Accents from Another Country

**Accents from Another Country** - _Evan's life, from the orphanage to finding his own family._

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><p>You can't remember ever living anywhere beyond the orphanage. Not many here can. One of the older kids used to tell stories about how only the worst of the worst end up here, since you made your parents hate you so much they got rid of you.<p>

And since you were only a baby, you must've been terrible.

Mrs McCulloch was the one who gave you the name Evan. When you asked if that meant you were her kid she laughed and told you that you were _all_ her kids. Until someone adopted you.

That made you smile. It made you smile more when she let you use her last name for yours when you needed one for school.

The day after your fifth birthday, you move into the bigger boy room. At midnight the other boys pass around a packet of biscuits. Commiserations. You're too old to get adopted now.

When you're seven there's quite a commotion one day. Some rich couple from America want to adopt one of the older boys, since they're already toilet trained and know basic reading, writing, and maths.

You're the smallest. The lady coos over how cute you are until you thank her. The man says it's amazing what speech therapists can achieve now and she smiles again.

You've never been ashamed of your accent and you definitely don't want to end up sounding as... _American_ as them.

You don't say that out loud and the woman decides that you're the one for her. The man gives you a stern look and you try to stand up straight against it.

They adopt you.

You go and buy a packet of chocolate digestives for the other boys. Some of them get angry, some of them don't care. You hope some of them will miss you.

Mrs McCulloch gives you a warm hug and asks you to send a postcard. You hug back tightly, you'll miss her more than anything else.

The trip to America is long and boring. You try and keep to your best behaviour, but the lady and the man don't even want to talk. Not to you anyway. The lady has gone to sleep, while the man has gone somewhere else in the plane. The air hostess gives you a colouring book and a carton of juice and giggles when you thank her a politely as you can.

When you finally get to America, you don't get to see much of it. The man bundles you and the lady into a limousine with tinted windows and you drive through the city, unable to see any of it. The man starts talking about stocks or bonds or something boring and you drift off.

When you wake up it's in some mansion. You spend the next two hours exploring, pretending you're Sherlock Holmes or Poirot or one of the other detectives Mrs McCulloch used to watch on TV. The lady shrieks when you accidentally tumble into the room she's in, covered in dust and cobwebs.

What follows is one of the most unimpressive lectures you've ever sat through. Then the lady hands you over to a maid, who manages the telling off a bit better, then gives you a tour of the house.

You inform her that you've been most places and there aren't any dead bodies, so it's a bit boring. She laughs and tells you a ghost story.

Most of the time you don't see the man. The lady only appears occasionally to pat you on the head and smile distantly.

You make friends with the maid, whose name is Emma, and the cook, who's called Matthew. They're both nice to you and much more interesting than the tutors you have to see. You've got lots of different tutors. One for English, one for maths, one for science, one for French.

And the one you hate most, the one for teaching you to speak properly.

What's wrong with using 'a wee bairn' instead of 'a little kid'? Or using 'aye' instead of 'yes'? That's how everyone you knew spoke.

It's only been two weeks when you feel yourself snap.

You throw a tantrum. Smashing vases, tipping over furniture, trecking mud through the hallways, screaming at the top of your lungs. You make sure to purposefully go by the man's office, but he doesn't do anything. The lady asks you to be quiet since 'mommy has a migraine'.

The surprise shuts you up. She's not your mum – and yes, you use a 'u', like it's meant to have – and you tell her as such. She tells you she is and that's final.

You tear down the curtains in the drawing room then find yourself in a sobbing heap.

No one comes to comfort you.

You picked a day when Emma and Matthew were out at the market. You wanted to see if the lady and the man – you will _never_ call them your parents – actually cared.

You found your answer. You wish it wouldn't hurt quite so much.

Months go by. The lady starts to get fat. You get told she's pregnant. There's going to be another kid around. You get curious, despite yourself. Babies are smelly squishy things, but another kid around would be fun.

You actually begin to believe you might like it here after all.

Then the man calls you into his office.

You've only ever been in here once, back when you were playing detective. The man sits at his desk and looks all stern. He tells you the reasons you were adopted, that they couldn't have kids and he wanted someone to take over his business when he was gone. Now they're having a kid and there isn't a place for you.

They're giving you up.

It hurts.

It hurts more that you're not going to see Emma or Matthew again. You decide to send them a postcard, like you did with Mrs McCulloch. You hope they'll be nice to the new kid too.

You ask if you'll be going back to Scotland. The man snorts and mutters something about your accent, then tell you that they've found somewhere else for you. He hands over a sheet of paper. There's a name and an address and 'blood match' in big bold letters.

This is your father. Your _real_ father.

You start to feel a bit faint and only just make out the man telling you that you'll be leaving tomorrow morning. You don't remember walking down to the kitchen until Matthew offers you a ginger biscuit.

You start to cry, because you'll never have that again. You spend the evening with Matthew and Emma and make them promise to be just as good to the new baby.

The next morning you pack. You make sure to leave all the stupid clothes, but you keep the jumper Emma knitted for you, even through the sleeves are uneven lengths. You keep the stuffed haggis Mrs McCulloch got for you, to remind you of Scotland. You don't want to take much else, but Emma persuades you to take enough.

You have to say goodbye to Emma and Matthew at the mansion, they aren't allowed to come.

You don't see the route they take you, because of the tinted windows, and you don't care. You're not going back.

The apartment the man knocks on is fairly ramshackle. The person who opens the door looks just as scruffy. This is your father. So far you're unimpressed.

The man shows your father some papers and gestures at you. Your father looks over them and shakes his head. He says he doesn't have any kids. The man is insistent and has the blood work to back it up. Your father eventually admits that it might be possible, but he's never heard about any kids before now.

Finally your father says he'll give it a go and opens the door further to let you in – he hadn't let the man in, much to his frustration. The lady catches you and starts wailing about how much she'll miss you.

Your father takes one look at her and tells her to stop shamming, there aren't any cameras to look impressed. The lady goes from affectionate to icy at the drop of a hat.

You decide you'll give this guy a chance.

The flat is small and cluttered. Your father looks lost when he looks at you. He finally tells you where to put your stuff and you help him clear some space for you. He rings up a friend of his and then tells you that while he's at work you'll be looked after by some of his friends. Wally and Linda. You hope they're nice.

When you hesitate on what to call him, he tells you to call him 'Len', since he doesn't think either of you are ready for 'dad' yet. He says he doesn't know what to do with kids, but he promises to try.

You believe him.

You try some of your more incomprehensible Scots on Len. He just tells you that if he can't understand you he won't know what you want and you won't get it. He lets you away with the rest of the accent though, so, as thanks, you don't use the weirder stuff.

You throw a tantrum after a week. Len gives you a smack and sits you on one of the wooden chairs at the dinner table for fifteen minutes.

The sting hurts, but it's nothing compared to the stirring of hope that Len might actually _care_.

Afterwards, Len gives you a talking to. You feel uncomfortable and guilty while it lasts, but then he lets you help make dinner, which makes you smile.

With the roller coaster of emotions, you're not too surprised when you burst into tears after dinner. Len's startled and is terrible at giving hugs, but he's _trying_ and that makes you cry harder.

You cry yourself to sleep and when you wake up an hour later, you're still being held by Len while he watches a hockey game on TV. You snuggle closer and think that maybe, just maybe, you might try calling him 'dad'.

You keep the name Evan McCulloch.

When you ask Len about it, he says it might've been better to find a name that people know how to spell, but he's not bothered. He adds that he hates his name, so he wouldn't wish it on you either.

Wally and Linda are nice, even if Wally always looks a bit panicked when Linda starts talking about kids of their own.

It's not always perfect, but you've found home and family.

And that's perfect.


	3. Hair of Another Colour

**Hair of Another Colour** - _Axel decides to run away._

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><p>Axel knows his father isn't his father before he's ever told. Everyone on his father's side of the family has dark hair, while Axel's is a bright blond, unlike his siblings'. He hears an offhand comment about there having to be blond on both sides for it to pass down, but it takes him a year or two before he actually puts it together.<p>

When Axel asks his mom about his real dad, she waves a hand and mentions that she could hardly be expected to remember that.

When Axel's nine he sees them using people's DNA to trace their real parents on TV. He heads to the nearest hospital with a bag full of belongings the next day and asks them to find his dad. The woman at the reception desk tells him is very expensive and he offers her his savings. All twenty dollars of it.

She shakes her head and tells him that's not enough.

Axel's debating what to do next, when one of the doctors starts talking to him. Apparently the receptionist paged one of the paediatricians – kid doctors, the doctor explains when Axel looks blank. Axel does his best to remember the word.

Axel tells the doctor what he wants to do. The doctor is apologetic and tells Axel that it's expensive. Axel says the receptionist already told him that. The doctor adds that it takes time and energy away from people who are trying to make medicine better.

The doctor offers to give Axel a check-up, so he doesn't feel like he came all this way for nothing. Axel agrees and gets his eyes, ears, throat, and pulse tested. The doctor proclaims him 'fit as a fiddle' and gives Axel a sweet before sending him home.

Axel crosses the hospital off his mental list and goes to the police department instead.

Just inside the doors Axel bumps into a man, who drops the files he was holding. Axel helps pick them up – they might be nicer to him if he's helpful – and carries some to the man's lab desk for him.

The man introduces himself as Barry Allen. Axel only gives his first name.

Barry has a lot of funny looking lab equipment and a computer that is running some analysis program. Barry smiles when Axel shows interest and starts explaining what it all does. Axel listens for a while, then starts asking his own questions. Barry seems thrilled and lets Axel steer the conversation onto paternity testing.

Axel asks if Barry could find out who his dad is. Barry says it only works if they've already got the persons DNA on file. Axel asks if he could try anyway. Barry 'hem's and 'haw's but eventually gives in.

Later Barry will admit to having a soft spot for adopted kids who are unable to find their parents, since his wife's an orphan.

Barry sets up the test. He takes some of Axel's blood and promises him an icecream while he lets it run. It's not like TV, things take a while to come to the result.

Barry looks at the clock and groans. He explains he was meant to meet his wife for lunch half an hour ago. He offers Axel the chance to tag along and have something to eat. Axel, who hasn't had anything to eat bar that sweet from the doctor's, nods eagerly.

Barry's wife is called Iris and is pretty. She smiles when Axel tells her so and calls him handsome. She waves off Barry's apologies, saying that she'd only just got here herself, knowing what Barry is like.

Axel gets spaghetti and does his best not to splatter it everywhere. Iris still ends up wiping his face off afterwards.

They say goodbye to Iris after lunch and head back to the lab, Axel eating the promised icecream on the way.

The test isn't finished when they get back, so Barry lets Axel hang around, as long as he phones his parents to tell them where he is. Axel scowls, but agrees and ends up speaking to one of his sisters over the phone. She promises to tell mom he's run away, if it comes up.

Axel spends the next few hours running messages for people. Some of them ask if he's Barry's nephew. Axel supposes it's the hair. He does wonder if Barry might be his dad, but he really doesn't seem the sort, if Axel's honest with himself.

When the results finally arrive Barry groans. Axel asks if he's found him and Barry nods. Barry had said that if they _did_ find Axel's dad in the system then it wouldn't be a good thing. Axel asks for the address, so he can visit, but Barry offers to bring him here.

It turns out Barry knows Axel's dad well enough to have his number in his phone.

Axel runs messages again while Barry calls and after while they're waiting. He can't stand still.

Finally, Axel heads back to Barry after taking a file to the other end of the building, and there's a man and a boy waiting. The boy's a couple of years older than Axel and has brown hair. So does the man. Axel's heart sinks, there must be a mistake.

Barry waves Axel over. The boy looks on with undisguised curiosity. He doesn't wait for the go-ahead from the man or Barry and offers Axel his hand and name. Evan McCulloch. Axel takes it and gives back his first name only. Evan looks sympathetic and says Axel can use his surname if he hasn't got one, since their dad's is worse. That earns him a cuff over the head by the man, but Evan's smiling, so it can't have been that hard.

The man tells Axel to pay no attention to Evan and introduces himself as Len. He crouches down to Axel's level and asks who his mom is. Axel gives her name, but Len can't recall her.

Axel decides to speak up about the mistake, since if his dad or half-brother don't have blond hair, where does his come from?

Evan quickly jumps in to say that Aunty Lisa has blonde hair. Len nods when Axel looks over for confirmation. Evan's still talking about how he's only seen Aunty Lisa at Christmas, since she's travelling the world on ice-skates. It's all in an accent that gets thicker the more excited Evan gets until Len has to remind Evan that not everyone's as used to Scottish as him and Barry are.

Evan asks when Axel's moving in and the adults look worried at that. Barry asks carefully about the bag Axel has with him, and Axel confirms that it's got his stuff in because he's run away and he's not going back. Barry pinches the bridge of his nose and Len swears silently at the ceiling, but Evan doesn't seem bothered and just asks if Axel's got any games with him.

They set up a game of cards while the adults talk things over quietly in a corner. It's more like arguing, but Evan says they argue about everything, it's just how they communicate.

They're on a score of two-all when another worker leads in Axel's mom and two of his sisters. His mom's got a scary look on her face, like when Axel's baby brother ate her best necklace, or when one of his sisters spent an afternoon cutting up everyone's clothes.

Axel's mom starts shouting at him. Barry and Len move to intercede, but Evan's closer. He steps in front of Axel and shouts right back, using all sorts of weird Scottish words. Axel's mom isn't impressed until Evan calls Axel his brother.

She laughs in his face and tells Evan that he doesn't know what he's talking about in a condescending tone. Evan insults her and for a moment it looks like she might hit him for that.

Then Len steps in front of Evan and tells her to stop shouting at his sons. Barry backs it up with test results when Axel's mom spits out that she doesn't believe him.

Evan's holding Axel's hand tightly and Axel's enjoying the stability too much to point out how sissy it is. Len and Barry are forming a nice barrier between the kids and the shouting.

Axel's not quite sure when it happened, one minute they're all arguing about negligence and child welfare, the next Axel's mom's storming out, shouting that Axel's not worth this much trouble.

Evan squeezes his hand and it goes a surprising way to fixing the cold that's building up in Axel's body.

Len and Barry are talking again. They come to the conclusion that Len will look after Axel until this whole mess is sorted. Axel hopes that it will never be sorted, because he doesn't want to go home again.

Evan tells Axel all sorts of stories about Scotland during the evening and when they're supposed to be sleeping. They ended up in the same bed, since there wasn't a spare one and Len wouldn't let him sleep on the couch. That's a decision Len appears to be regretting since they haven't gone to sleep yet.

Evan tells Axel that it doesn't matter if he has to go back, because now they're brothers and as the big brother Evan has to look after the younger one. Evan seems awfully delighted at having a brother. Apparently some friends of Len's that Evan stays with sometimes are having a baby, but Evan laments that babies aren't all that fun until they've grown up a bit.

Either way, Axel agrees that Evan will always be his brother.

Len comes in to tell them to go to sleep for the fifth time and they finally do.

Axel dreams of chasing haggises the other way around the hilltops and of staying here forever.


	4. Sleeping on Another Couch

**Sleeping on Another Couch** - _Len wakes up on a stranger's sofa, things just get stranger from there._

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><p>When Len wakes up he comes to two very distinct realisations. Firstly that he must've been drinking like a fish last night. He may have actually succeeded in blotting out... whatever it was that he wanted to blot out. No doubt it'll come back to him when his hangover ends.<p>

The second realisation is simpler.

This isn't his couch.

Len gets up, mindful of his aching head and churning stomach, and tries to figure out where he is. It's not Mick's place, or Mark's. Too tidy. In fact, he's fairly certain it's a house rather than an apartment, which rules out most people he actually knows.

Huh, Len's never been kidnapped before.

Though, he isn't tied up or anything. Maybe he'd decided to do some housebreaking while drunk. That'd be quite awkward to explain to the parole board. If he just gets out before anyone saw him, maybe they'll ignore it. It isn't like he's going to steal anything.

Unfortunately, Lady Luck isn't on Len's side this morning.

An Asian woman walks into the room. She looks vaguely familiar, but Len's pretty sure he didn't meet her last night.

She explains about her boyfriend being a soft-hearted drunk, who apparently decided that Len needed a place to crash. He usually only brings home lost pets, she goes on to mention, this is the first time he's brought another person home.

She offers him coffee and gives her name as well as the cup. Linda Park. Len slowly processes it until a light goes on and he remembers who she is. She's a reporter.

Well shit.

When Len starts to panic, Linda tells him that she already knows who he is. Wally's – her boyfriend's – Aunt did the story on his jailing. Iris Allen. Who's married to Barry Allen.

What a fuck up.

Linda says that it doesn't matter to her, as long as he thanks Wally and helps her convince him that bringing back _people_ is a bad idea.

Not really much of a choice when faced with a determined reporter.

Len agrees.

Wally has the worst hangover Len's ever seen. The kid looks _green_. Len has to remind himself that the guy essentially kidnapped him, otherwise he's going to start feeling sorry for the kid.

Wally is unapologetic about letting Len crash on his sofa, even when Len mentions his criminal record. Wally asks to argue about this another time, since he's really not feeling up to it right now. Linda threatens to bang some pots and pans together unless they _do_ talk about it now. Len pleads Wally to talk about it now.

Wally finally admits that he had planned on going drinking with a friend of his, Roy Harper, but Roy had dropped out at the last minute so Wally had gone alone. Linda looks exasperated and asks why he didn't just ask someone else. Wally shrugs and doesn't really have an answer. For all that he's apparently a friendly drunk, Wally isn't much of a talker in the morning.

Though that could just be the hangover.

Len takes his leave and expects that to be the last of it.

It isn't.

Wally bumps into Len at the pub next week, this time dragging another red-head. Roy. Roy doesn't hang around long – by the sounds of it he's got a kid to look after, and doesn't trust his adopted dad not to make a mess of things – so Wally asks Len to keep an eye on him.

Len agrees and spends half the night amused – Wally's a funny drunk – and half the night annoyed, since he has to drag the kid out of bad situations.

Once he's gotten the kid home, Len expects that to be the last of it.

It isn't.

Len gets a job with a night-shift. During his 'lunch' break he heads to a diner he's used before for something to eat. Ten minutes later Wally shows up, his familiarity with the waitress showing that he's been here before.

He spots Len and sits at his table. Wally's a mechanic, on the night-shift too. They trade stories about job horrors until Len's break is over. Wally asks if he'll be here again tomorrow and Len replies with an affirmative before he really thinks about it.

It settles into a nice routine. People at Len's job aren't usually talkative, so it's nice to hear someone else's voice for a bit.

Then Len gets fired.

He hadn't done anything wrong, but they were looking for layoffs and Len's criminal record always works against him at times like that. Wally listens to his rant, then offers his couch if Len's landlord chucks him out.

Oddly, that makes Len more determined to get a job than the threat of roughing it on the streets.

The next string of jobs Len lands keep him ticking over, even if the hours are all over the place. He usually manages to find time to meet Wally for drinks every now and then, or at the diner if his job's good about it.

Somewhere along the line, Wally and Linda tie the knot. Len gets an invite to the wedding, to his surprise. His gift to them is a gift voucher for one of the more high-end shops in town and not starting a fight with Barry Allen over the toasts.

Things carry on fairly normally. Len never keeps a job for more than a couple of months. Sometimes he feels himself casing a bank or a jeweller's when money's low. Sometimes it's just a little too tempting to give in to old habits.

Then something completely unexpected happens.

The rich family from just out of town knock on Len's door, shove a load of paperwork in his face, and give him a child.

Len's child.

Len had no idea he actually had any kids, let alone one with a thick Scottish accent.

The kid's called Evan and is just as wary of Len as Len is of him. Len manages to hold in his panic until Evan's with Linda and Len's at the pub with Wally. Wally shifts between amused and sympathetic for most of the night. He offers getting in contact with his uncle for doing a paternity test.

Barry Allen isn't exactly happy with the circumstances, but he agrees to do the test. It's entirely possible he's hoping that Len isn't actually Evan's father.

The test is positive.

Something loosens inside Len at the same time that something else tightens. He wasn't kidding when he said he had no idea what to do with kids.

He knows what _not_ to do though.

It's a few weeks along before Evan asks why Len put him in the orphanage. Len tries to explain about not really knowing his mother in terms a seven-year-old will understand. He's not sure if it helped.

Two months in and Evan calls him 'dad' for the first time. They both freeze, then Len gruffly continues.

Two weeks after that Len refers to Evan as his son when picking him up from school. Evan's grin could light a city block.

Len finds that being a single parent sort of cancels out his criminal record when it comes to layoffs. Jobs still come and go, but they hang around longer than they used to.

Things don't always go well with Evan, sometimes he's a bit of a brat, sometimes Len just doesn't have the patience to deal with a child, but for the most part they get along.

Evan's been around long enough that Len can't really remember what life was like without him, when Wally mentions that him and Linda are trying for one of their own. He looks terrified at the thought, but Len points out how much Evan likes the couple, so they must be doing something right. That calms Wally down slightly, though he's still edgy whenever Len meets up with him.

Wally and Linda hold a get-together a couple of months later. As Len expects, they announce Linda's pregnancy. Everyone congratulates them. Len ends up talking to Roy and avoiding Barry Allen. He's found that tactic works best for not spoiling happy occasions with a fight.

At some point Len and Roy realise that Evan and Lian are missing.

Roy immediately blames Evan. Len's defence of his son is only half-hearted at best, since six-year-old Lian adores the ground Evan walks on and quite happily follows him wherever he leads.

After a quick search of the West house, which turns up nothing, Roy lets Wally know what's going on, then the two of them make their excuses and head to Len's apartment, since it's the closest.

Once there, they find Evan packing a battered suitcase, while Lian 'helps' by bringing Evan all his toys.

Roy sweeps Lian into his arms, raining kisses on her hair and telling her that she is _never_ allowed to scare him like that again. Lian squirms and replies that her and Evan are running away.

Len looks down at Evan, who is looking more scared than Len's ever seen him before. Len tries to keep his voice flat as he asks why Evan's running away. Evan replies that he wants to choose who he ends up with this time.

It takes a lot of prodding, but Evan finally spills the whole story. Those posh snobs he was with got rid of him as soon as they conceived a child of their own.

Evan thinks it's going to happen again.

Len calls him an idiot and gives him a hug. It doesn't matter that Evan's eleven and he thinks hugs are for girls, Len's not letting him go and he tells him so. There's a sniff from Evan, the sort that means he's doing his best not to cry. Len pretends to not hear it.

Roy suggests getting some icecream, then heading back to the Wests' to apologise. Len agrees. They give Evan a few minutes to collect himself, which is spent putting his clothes back in their proper places. Lian doesn't really understand what Evan was about to do, but appreciates the cuddle from her dad.

Evan slowly brightens as he demolishes his icecream. Len explains that Evan's going to be a big brother to Wally and Linda's kid and that means he's got to look after it, like he does with Lian. Roy barely manages to avoid spitting his coffee over the table when he hears that.

Apparently Roy doesn't think convincing Lian to run away with him was a good example of 'looking after'.

Evan apologises to Wally and Linda, then demands that Linda has a baby boy, since he's already got Lian for a little sister. Linda ruffles his hair indulgently and tells him that it's not up to her, it's up to the baby.

Evan pouts and wishes for a little brother.

His wish comes true sooner than anyone expects.

Len's walking Evan home from school when Barry Allen rings. That's never a good sign. Barry asks them to come to the police station, he doesn't want to explain things over the phone.

Len does so and his first thought when he enters Barry's lab and sees the results on the screen is 'oh shit, _another_ one?'

It's a bit late for it now, but Len vows to stop sleeping around without adequate protection.

The kid is nine years old and has a shock of blond hair. His name is Axel. Evan, who's been looking forward to having a younger sibling, takes an immediate liking to the kid, instead of worrying that he's going to be replaced again.

Axel's smart enough to know things about genes, but not smart enough to realise that he can't just decide where he's going to live without telling anyone.

Then Axel's mother arrives and Len defends _his_ kids without a second's thought.

Barry, in a rare display of friendliness, says he'll make the whole thing as smooth as possible. Evan's still holding Axel's hand and chattering away. Axel looks up at Len and, like that, he's part of the strange little family that's crept up on Len unawares.

Axel's more independent than Evan was at that age, but also less inclined to do as Len says because of it. There's a lot of arguing the first few weeks, but then Axel finds his place and there's relative peace.

Linda gives birth to a baby boy and they call him Jai. Evan's still excited about another younger brother, whereas Axel's seen plenty of babies. He warms up to Jai a bit more when he finds out he doesn't have to change any diapers.

Wally's thankfully calmed down about the idea of being a father and is far more pleased than Len believes anyone sober has the right to be.

Len's surprised when Wally asks if he'll be the godfather, but he's pleased and accepts.

Axel starts talking about 'a little barn', which Evan keeps trying to correct to 'a wee bairn', and Len has to threaten to separate the two unless they quiet down and don't wake Jai. He's still not sure what possessed Evan to try and teach Axel Scots, or Axel for actually listening.

On the way home from the hospital, Axel calls Len 'dad'. Len ruffles his hair and asks what he wants for dinner.

Len doesn't know when he actually started to _like_ his life. He hasn't felt the itch to start thieving for years and it doesn't feel like it's going to come back any time soon. Even as he pulls apart Evan and Axel from their rough-housing and makes a start on a dinner for three, Len knows he wouldn't have it any other way.


	5. Problems of Another Father

**Problems of Another Father** - _Mark has never wanted children, especially not one that isn't even old enough to talk._

* * *

><p>Mark stares at the infant held at arms length. The infant stares back.<p>

Mark's brain is currently running along the lines of '_shitshitshitshitshitshitshit_'. The infant burbles and sticks its hand in its mouth.

Mark puts the infant on a clear patch of floor and tries to get his mind back in gear. The infant picks up a gardening magazine – a delivery for the previous tenant that Mark hadn't thrown out yet – from the floor and starts chewing it.

Finally, the sensible part of Mark's brain, the part that's been jumping up and down to get his attention for the past half hour, makes itself known. _Get Len_. The infant spits out half-chewed bits of paper and manages to get them stuck to its face.

Mark soon discovers a flaw with his plan. For some stupid reason, the seats in his car aren't exactly made for an infant. Mark improvises with some cushions and a cardboard box and hopes no one looks too closely. The infant starts chewing on the cardboard box.

After a nerve-wracking drive, they arrive. Mark picks the infant up, vaguely remembering something about supporting its head, but he isn't sure if it applies or not. The infant doesn't seem to mind Mark's clumsy hold and gets gummed-up cardboard over them both.

Len's reaction is to stare – Mark has to admit that a baby with wrinkled pictures of shrubs stuck to its face and mushed cardboard down its front is quite a sight – then mutter something about condoms and sobriety levels. He looks close to shutting the door in Mark's face, despite Mark swearing that the baby is his, not Len's. The infant waves a soggy bit of cardboard at Len.

Once inside Len's apartment, Mark manages to hand over the infant and take a seat on the sofa with his head in his hands. Len disappears for a short while, then returns with a book and a can of beer. The infant is happily munching a handful of biscuits, only half of which are getting in its mouth.

Len passes the book and the can over to Mark. The alcohol tugs Mark back to this side of hyperventilation, while the book appears to be a guide on how to look after a baby. Mark opens it and finds an inscription on the first page.

'_Snart, read this book and PAY ATTENTION. If you hurt one hair on my great-nephew's head I'll have yours. B Allen._'

Mark snorts, but starts reading.

Ten minutes later and Mark's panic hasn't decreased in the slightest. In fact it's increased now he _knows_ what can go wrong.

Len asks for the infant's name and Mark looks at him blankly. Thankfully he finds that he brought the baby's birth certificate and other details along with him.

_Joshua Jackham_.

Somehow the name makes it all that much more real.

Mark has never wanted children. He sort of hoped he'd have Len's luck if there were any and the kids would be old enough to fend for themselves. Evan and Axel are old enough to sometimes join in with their poker nights if Len was hosting. Mark's still stuck on the fact that he's going to have to change diapers.

A problem which presents itself too soon for Mark's liking.

Len talks him through changing the diaper and is generally finding the whole situation amusing. Mark's trying not to swear when Josh pisses on him, or when he gets the diaper on backwards.

Mark has discovered a whole new level of respect for parents.

Thankfully Josh nods off while Mark's looking through the book again. Len puts the infant down in one of the bedrooms, then he asks what Mark is planning on doing.

It hadn't occurred to Mark that he could put Josh up for adoption until Len points it out. Len also makes it very clear that Mark will be talking to Evan before that happened. Len's firstborn – as far as anyone is aware, it's possible Len has some still-unaccounted for kids – had been in an orphanage and, from what Mark's heard, didn't like most of it.

Mark's real problem is that he's never managed to get a steady income. He's an extortioner by trade and stints in jail aren't going to help him raise a baby. Josh deserves better.

Mark doesn't know what to do.

It takes a few days for a solution to be found.

Both Mark and Len have been asking around for ideas, when Iris Allen offers to adopt Josh. Mark's not exactly happy with the thought of Barry Allen – the man who'd been responsible for several of Mark's stays in jail – bringing up his son, however, it's looking like the best option. The Allens are stable and have been trying for children of their own without success.

Evan makes it known – loudly – that if the Allens conceive a child and give up Josh, he'll make them regret it. Len pulls Evan away, mid-threat, though it's clear he'd be right in line behind Evan if they gave up Josh.

Mark's holding onto Josh tightly. These past few days have been more stressful than Mark would like to remember, but faced with the prospect of giving Josh up, he doesn't want to let go.

There's discussion of visitation rights, which Mark hopes someone thought to write down, since he's not doing a good job of listening to anything beyond Josh's gurgles.

Iris gently removes Josh from Mark's arms and promises to take care of him where Mark can't. Josh whimpers, but doesn't dissolve into tears, and as much as Mark would like to think his son has any idea what's happening, it's obvious Josh isn't aware of the situation.

Afterwards, Len takes Mark to the pub to get shit-faced.

Mark wakes up on Len's sofa the next day with a splitting headache and bare snatches of memories of the previous night. There's the sense that he'd broken down around the fifth glass or so, but Mark can't be sure.

There's a knock on the door that does absolutely fuck-all for Mark's aching head. After falling off the sofa and swearing into the carpet, Mark manages to get to the door and open it.

Evan and Axel are on the other side, along with that West guy. Evan's looking sympathetic, but Axel's looking like he's about to take advantage of Mark's hangover. He's done it before. The brat.

Len appears from his bedroom. He's looking nowhere near as bad as Mark's feeling. _Bastard_. He probably drunk in moderation to keep an eye on Mark, but Mark's not feeling particularly charitable right now.

Len thanks West for keeping the kids overnight and the guy leaves after stumbled commiserations aimed at Mark. Evan and Axel are shooed into their rooms to let Mark nurse his hangover in peace, but not before Evan gives Mark a hug and tells him that he's still 'Uncle Mark' to them.

The journey back to Mark's flat is wet. The skies are apparently in tune with his mood and the rain is bucketing down. Thunder and lightning crackle and boom across the heavens.

When Mark gets home he puts all the baby stuff he'd bought into a box and shoves it to the back of his wardrobe. He won't need it any more. He doesn't have a child to look after. Josh is with a better family. He doesn't need Mark.

Mark pulls out plans he'd been working on before Josh had appeared and sits down to perfect them. This was how he made a living and how he will continue to make a living.

He doesn't miss the diaper changes.

He doesn't miss the midnight crying.

He doesn't miss Josh's garbled coos and nonsensical babbling.

He doesn't miss reading to Josh.

He doesn't miss... _Josh_.

Maybe if Mark keeps repeating it, he'll be able to fool himself.


	6. Questions from Another Addict

**Questions from Another Addict** - _Evan goes through withdrawal._

_Warnings: Mentions of drug-use_

* * *

><p>Roy asks why.<p>

Evan tells him to fuck off.

Evan hates Star City. He wants to be back in Keystone, where he's got a job, an apartment of his own, and his friends. He doesn't want to be slumming on Roy's sofa and being forced through group therapy.

Lian's just turning twelve and is miffed at the fact that Roy's not letting her have any friends over while Evan's around. It's to keep him from becoming uncomfortable, Roy says, but Evan knows he doesn't want Lian or her friends being corrupted by their houseguest. Consequently, Lian spends more time out of the apartment.

Roy asks why.

Evan tells him that nobody understands him. He says it in his thickest Scots, but Roy doesn't look puzzled.

The therapy group is lead by a bubbly woman called Sandra. She keeps trying to get Evan to talk about his family. She keeps smiling no matter how many times Evan calls her a bitch.

Evan wonders if that's her way of getting people better, make them reform just to stay away from her and her high-school girl giggle.

Sandra prods for information about Evan's parents and he snaps at her. She doesn't seem at all fazed and Evan scowls heavily.

Roy asks why.

Evan tells him it's just what people do.

Axel visits. He's left the gel out of his hair for the first time in two years. It's long enough to get in his eyes and he keeps brushing it back, only for it to get in the way again. It throws Evan off long enough for Axel to start talking about what's been going on in Keystone.

Evan doesn't want to hear it.

Instead, Roy fills in the other half of Axel's one-sided conversation. Evan can't take it for long before he locks himself in the bathroom.

He searches for an hour, but doesn't find anything to _make it stop_.

When Axel's gone, Roy asks why.

Evan tells to him to fuck off and to take his family with him.

The first time the shakes hit, Roy was there. Evan spent the night trying to throw up the nothing that was in his stomach and alternating between shivering and sweating. Roy forced him to drink water as often as he could and was there with a blanket or an ice-pack as necessary.

The second time had been similar. Evan remembers crying throughout that time.

The third time Evan got angry.

And always, _always_, pleading for a fix.

Roy asks why.

Evan tells him his family drove him to it.

Sandra's delighted – isn't she always – when Evan finally spills about his dad. She goes on to say how it's obvious Evan's tendencies are a cry for attention from an unloving father-figure.

Evan tells her to fuck off, he knows his dad loves him.

When he gets back to Roy's, Evan locks himself in the bathroom and practically tears it to pieces in hopes of finding a stash. Roy's apartment is clean. Evan shatters the bathroom mirror and gets glass stuck in his fist.

Roy bandages Evan's hand up and asks why.

Evan tells him he has no idea.

Evan remembers when his dad caught him.

His perception of time wasn't very good and for some stupid reason – maybe one of his friends did it as a joke – Evan's phone was unplugged. Dad could get paranoid sometimes, and he'd gone 'round when Evan had missed a get-together and no one could reach him.

Evan remembers dad first knocking on the bathroom door, then – while Evan was trying to wash the evidence down the sink – kicking the door down. There had been a moment of silence, during which dad's expression turned from worried to furious.

Evan remembers standing there, nose bloody, eyes unfocussed, white powder on his sleeve. He remembers how fucking _scary_ dad looked there and then.

Evan remembers feeling euphoric from more than the blow. He can't for the life of him remember _why_ any more.

Roy asks why.

Evan tells him bad decisions are in the blood.

Sandra remarks that Evan's making promising progress.

He's not really, he just wants to get away from her obnoxious blonde hair and cheap perfume she must _bathe_ in.

She still wants him to keep coming to the support group though.

Roy agrees with Evan that it's time he did something with himself and sets up a job with Queen Industries. Having your adopted father being the head of a major corporation is useful sometimes. So Evan ends up fixing printers on all forty-seven floors.

It keeps him busy, which is probably a good thing.

Roy asks why.

Evan tells him to stop asking the same question over and over.

Evan hasn't had the job for two weeks before he gets into a fight.

He's on his way back to Roy's apartment when he happens by a mugging. Evan's been wanting to hit something for some time now and launches himself at the muggers. He receives several cuts and bruises and when the police arrive, they pick him up with the muggers.

Evan manages to persuade the cops that he's not with the muggers, but they still arrest him for assault.

The police find out Evan's age from his wallet and contact his dad, despite Evan's protests. Evan closes his eyes and imagines being back at Roy's place.

Roy would ask why.

Evan would tell him that sometimes he's scared. Except he'd never admit that.

Keystone's a good few hours travel away from Star City, longer if you didn't pick the right transport. Evan resigns himself to an overnight stay. The cops move him to a different cell, one with two beds and a cell mate.

Evan immediately doesn't like the person sharing the cell with him. The man has something unsettling in his gaze. Evan tries to ignore it and prepares himself for a long night.

The man makes his move a few hours later, when the lights go down and the cops change shifts.

Evan had been dozing on his bed, when he's suddenly yanked out of it and pressed up against the wall. Evan's not exactly a weakling, but he's still only seventeen. He can't get free.

Absolute terror washes over Evan as the man starts to squeeze his throat. It's getting hard to breathe and black spots start dancing about in front of his vision.

Evan gets enough air in his lungs to ask why.

The man tells him it's for being 'Snart's brat'.

Apparently dad had stabbed this guy and his gang in the back several years ago. They'd never had the chance for payback. Until now.

For all that dad's never been shy about his past activities, it's never really hit Evan until now that his dad's an ex-con.

Evan's starting to black-out, when the guy is ripped off him. Evan falls to his knees and gasps for oxygen. His vision's not completely clear, but he can make out dad pressing the man's face into the floor. Dad snarls that this is the last time they ever go after him by targeting his family.

Dad's hair is grey, he's pushing fifty, and he just _owned_ that guy.

Sometimes it's pretty cool to be part of this family.

Cops pull dad off the man, but most of them look like they'd be perfectly happy leaving them to it. Evan and dad are escorted to the entrance. Dad has to pay a fine, but it's not all that much.

Once outside the station, Evan remembers why he's in Star City to begin with.

Sometimes it sucks to be part of this family.

Evan asks why he couldn't stay in Keystone.

Dad tells him Roy was the best person he knew who could help Evan.

They find a diner that's open and order a late dinner. Both of them pick at their food.

After several false starts, dad talks about what he did at seventeen. He left home and started on his career of being a criminal. Evan listens as dad runs through what he stole or conned from people. It's not glamorous. When Evan asks about his cell mate's gang, dad corrects the story: they tried to stab him in the back first, so he just left them when the cops arrived.

Dad asks why.

Evan tells him it seemed like a good idea at the time.

They finish their meal and head back to Roy's. Evan keeps his head down, staring at his trainers. Dad's not one for idle conversation, but he asks about Evan's job. Evan starts bitching about the number of people who can't read the 'paper empty' sign and call him up just to put more paper in the fucking machines.

Evan finishes up when he realises they've reached Roy's apartment already. Dad says he's not going to come in, he has to get back to Keystone. Evan tries to swallow the lump in his throat and asks when he can come home.

Dad tells him that he can come home whenever he wants and that's always been the case, but it's a good idea for him to stay with Roy for now. Roy knows what he's doing.

The lump in Evan's throat is getting harder to swallow.

_No drugs_.

Dad makes him promise. Somehow that feels a hell of a lot more binding than the same words to Sandra or Roy.

Dad starts to leave and Evan grabs him in a hug. It's been years since he's initiated a hug, but the only difference Evan can tell is that he's taller against dad now. Dad's arms are still unsure and he gives Evan a rough pat when he pulls away.

Roy's waiting up when Evan enters the flat. There's some rubbish documentary about birds or something muted on the telly. Roy turns it off and heads to bed, convinced Evan's ok for now.

Evan gets the shakes again and spends his night huddled over the toilet. Roy's there to help.

In the morning, Roy asks why.

Evan tells him that too many people don't talk properly.

It takes Evan a whole month to pull together the courage to take a train home.

Dad's flat is empty when Evan arrives. He unlocks the door with the key he'd almost forgotten he had. Even goes to his room and sits on the bed. His stuff is still there. There's a few more boxes taking up space, but if Evan wanted to move back in, he's not going to have to worry about not being able to clothe or entertain himself.

Evan feels seven again, when dad was still Len and Evan wasn't sure he would be allowed to stay. Ten years ago now. Time flies.

Axel arrives with some friends. They all stop talking at once when Evan emerges from his room. He catches at least one whisper of 'cokehead'. Axel herds his friends into his room – where they immediately start setting up the gaming system Axel put together – and mentions that dad's out at work until late.

Evan helps himself to some food from the kitchen. He's halfway through a sandwich when his mobile rings. It's Roy, checking up to see if he made the journey ok. Evan's quick to end the call after hopefully giving Roy enough to stop him calling back.

It's enough, Roy doesn't call back.

Axel's friends are still around when dad gets home. Dad sticks his head into Axel's room and tells them to scarper. There's the usual wheedling from Axel, but his friends file out. It's weird how little has changed.

Dad comes into the kitchen and is surprised at Evan's appearance. He asks how long Evan will be staying.

Evan doesn't have an answer. He doesn't... putting a limit on how long he's allowed to stay...

Dad picks up on his distress and says it's not a problem, but he _would_ like to know how much food he should be buying next time he hits the shops.

Evan manages a tentative smile and says he's there for the weekend. He's still got a job in Star City after all.

Things almost hit awkward, but then Axel bounds into the room and breaks the tension without trying.

The weekend passes by too quickly for Evan's liking. It vanishes in a way that feels dream-like and he finds himself back at Roy's before he knows it. Lian's happy to see him. Evan's touched, until he realises that's because she wants to practise manicures. Roy's nails are suspiciously pink already.

Evan examines his orange and green – _orange and green_, what had possessed Lian? – nails when he settles onto the sofa for the night. That's when he decides to buy Roy a new settee with the money he's earning from Queen Industries. Both as a 'thank you' and to make sure any other poor sods who end up on it don't develop a crick in their back. Evan swears the one he's picked up is permanent.

He's not alright, not by a long shot. However, he's feeling a lot better than he did when all of this mess started.

Roy asks why.

Evan tells him he doesn't know any more and he doesn't want to.


	7. Coping with Another Stage

**Coping with Another Stage** - _Len struggles to deal with his son's habit. Another perspective on 'Questions from Another Addict'._

_Warnings: Mentions of drug-use (and actual dialogue!)_

* * *

><p><strong>Denial<strong>

In hindsight, it's obvious.

But that's the beauty of hindsight, everything is.

Len's surprised, but not all that concerned when Evan practically vanishes after getting his own place. It's not like Len ever looked back after all. So he lets it go.

Over the next few months, Evan only visits when there's some gathering or event, and half the time they don't take place at Len's flat. He's starting to look a little on the scrawny side, but then he's a teenager with very little idea of exactly how much food bills cost. So Len lets it go.

Wally mentions that Evan's been around their house every few days for dinner. He's surprised when Len admits to not knowing that.

"He's eating as much as your truly," Wally says, "And the way Jai's hit a growth spurt, it's lucky we've got any food left."

Len just assumes Evan wants some friendly faces, while not looking like he's giving up. He's a teenager, they do stupid things.

So Len lets it go.

Everything and anything that could point to what's about to happen, Len lets go without a second thought.

In hindsight it's fucking _obvious_.

* * *

><p><strong>Anger<strong>

Len doesn't like being afraid.

He's never really been afraid for his own life. Despite the many dangerous situations he's ended up in over the years. There's _always_ a way out, someone you can beat, someone you can blag your way past, hell, it's not like cops are all that fond of actually shooting suspects.

Len's friends are tough, they can take care of themselves. He's never had to be afraid for them.

When Evan's line doesn't even _ring_, instead being _disconnected_, Len's heart skips a beat.

He gets to Evan's as quickly as possible. On the way, Len can only think of the numerous people he's pissed off over the years. He tries not to think how many of them would be willing to stoop low enough to hurt Len's _kid_ as payback.

Evan's front door is unlocked. That's not a good sign.

Len does a quick sweep of the flat and finds the bathroom door locked. He knocks. He wants to pretend that he's overreacting, that Evan's fine – if maybe a bit sick and didn't make the meet-up because of that – and the phone lines went down without warning.

There's no answer.

Len's had to knock down stronger doors than Evan's flimsy wooden interior one. It shatters under Len's boot and reveals a scene Len had never thought he'd see.

Evan's fine.

Evan's fine if you don't consider the white powder all over the sink and the deer-in-headlights way he's frozen.

The fear that had been driving Len is replaced by a cold, sharp anger. He was fearing for his son's life and the only danger Evan's in is his own making.

He's safe.

He's a _fucking idiot_.

Len steps forward and opens his mouth. He knows the words. The ones that were shouted at him from the moment he could understand what was going on, to the moment he left and never looked back.

Evan flinches.

He _flinches_.

Len shuts his mouth with a _click_.

That was... too close. Len's always been afraid he'd turn into his father from the second a little gap-toothed kid was dropped into his life. Len had sworn to never go that far. To never take his anger out on his kids just because he could.

He almost broke that rule just now.

So Len forces his fists to unclench and reaches for Evan. The kid's too high to take in any sort of real lecture right now, but Len grabs Evan by the chin and forces him to look Len in the eye.

"You're a fucking idiot," Len says firmly.

Evan tries to focus on Len's face, but doesn't quite manage. Len swears under his breath as he drops Evan's chin and starts searching for Evan's stash, while trying to keep an eye on Evan to make sure he doesn't do something stupid.

Something _stupider_.

Looks like it's going to be a long night.

* * *

><p><strong>Bargaining<strong>

Len calls Roy. Truth be told, he doesn't know who else to contact.

Wally's too honest and straightforward, plus him and Linda have their own kids to worry about. Mark's in jail and even if he wasn't, he's too self-centred. Mick's never managed to overcome his own problems.

Roy's the only one who's managed to pull himself back out of that habit.

Roy's a bit snappish over the phone – Len has to admit that "_So, you're an ex-junkie_" wasn't exactly the best opening line – but he hears Len out.

They come to an arrangement. Roy will take care of Evan and put him through the therapy and the like, for a price. Len agrees to pay the bills from the counsellors without fuss, but he argues over Roy's other demand.

"I'm not the one at fault here," Len snaps.

"No," Roy agrees, "Evan's choices are his own, but you can't start to help him unless you figure out why he went down that route. Seeing a professional can help both of you."

There's a lot more arguing, during which Axel wanders into the room and plays his phone game. The phone game consists of Axel doing his best to work out what the conversation's about as quickly as possible by listening to only this end of things.

Len knows he's worked it out when the colour drains from his face.

Len finally agrees to Roy's conditions and ends the call. For once Axel doesn't have some smart remark to fill the silence.

"Roy'll fix it, right dad?" Axel eventually asks.

Len can only give a vague nod and hope his deal pays off.

* * *

><p><strong>Depression<strong>

The therapist Len ends up talking to it a large man with a neckbeard. He has a small pair of glasses perched on the end of his nose, which he constantly looks over when he's talking to Len.

Len's reluctant to talk at first, but he'd made his deal and he was going to stick with it.

Len draws the line at talking about his own childhood.

The therapist – whose name Len only remembers about half the time – decides that Evan has an abandonment complex. While Len's staring at him, he elaborates.

- Abandoned at birth.

- Passed over for a blood-relation by the family who adopted him.

- A younger brother to take away some of his attention.

- Pushed from the nest before he was ready.

Len protests at the last one, citing that _he_ left home at the same age and didn't care. The therapist points out that everyone is different.

The therapist asks if Evan knew he could come home to visit. Len says of course he could.

"But did you ever _tell_ him that?" the therapist – Professor Strange – asks, "Did you give him a _choice_ in moving out?"

Len finds he can't answer.

Evan's always been clingier than your average kid, definitely more so than Axel. He didn't bring up moving out until Len did. He never visited unless there was some event that wanted the whole family.

_Fuck_. How did Len not see this? He's been looking after Evan for _ten years_ and he didn't pick up on something this big?

Strange makes encouraging noises and adds some notes to the pad in his hand. Len needs a drink. Or someone to hit.

Preferably both.

Wally agrees to a pub trip and they spend some good hours wonderfully sloshed until they're woken up by Axel at some god-forsaken hour... some god-forsaken hour that's _actually_ only nine a.m. when Len peers at the clock.

Wally's green around the gills and has _two_ traffic cones, plus a mangy cat that does its best to take Len's finger off when he tries to throw it out.

Len's knuckles are bruised, along with varying other parts of him. There must've been a good fight or two.

But...

Dammit.

Len still doesn't feel any better.

* * *

><p><strong>Acceptance<strong>

The call comes when Len's at work. The foreman tells Len he's fired if he leaves now.

Len leaves.

The cops didn't mention what Evan had been jailed for and the journey to Star City is long enough for Len to think through every possible situation. Twice.

The assault charge comes as a relief. It's even more of a relief when the cops say he was attacking the right people. Len tempers down his – rational – dislike of cops, for now.

Then they mention who they've put Evan in the same cell as.

Len runs to the cell, dragging the cop with the keys along with him. Len takes back any and all neutral feelings he had toward Star City's cops, they're the same bunch of bastards he's used to in Keystone and Central.

Evan's cell mate is currently trying to strangle him. Len rips the keys out of the cop's hand and gets the door open. The guy – Murray, part of the Kobra gang Len once worked with – doesn't even turn to see who's just entered the cell, until Len drags him off his son and shoves him to the other side of the room.

Len doesn't have time to spare Evan more than a quick glance to ensure he's still alive, as Murray lunges forward. The old familiar steps come back to Len as he sidesteps and brings an elbow into the back of Murray's neck. He follows it up with a sweeping kick to the back of Murray's knee. Murray falls, face-first. Len twists one arm up behind his back with one hand and hold's Murray's head down with the other. Len's knee is firmly in Murray's back and he leans down to make sure Murray can hear what he's about to say.

"You ever go after my family again, I'll fucking _end_ you," Len snarls, "This is the last time you and yours target _my_ family to get to _me_. _Understand_?"

The cops pull Len off Murray and out of the cell. Evan follows with what looks like a little bit of pride in his eyes.

The fine is less than Len expects and soon enough, him and Evan are breathing in the cold night-time air. It's a cloudy night, yellow pools of light from street lamps and apartment windows being the only illumination.

Evan's hunched over, eyes on the ground and his hands in his pockets. His hair's unhealthy, lank, and long enough to obstruct Len's view of his face. Evan's only response to Len's suggestion of food is a half-hearted shrug.

The only noise when they start walking to find an open diner is from the occasional car that passes. Len's not used to silence any more. He was once, when he had an apartment to himself, but Axel doesn't believe in quiet and Evan's always made his presence known when he's around.

As such, Len finds himself talking to keep away the silence when they get their food and sit down.

He starts with his first overnight stay in jail – at fifteen, he'd stolen from a corner shop to feed him and Lisa – then moves on to what had happened when he left home at not-quite seventeen. Rehashing past crimes with Evan is kinda cathartic. Much more so than going over them with Strange.

Evan doesn't say much and picks at his food. He's listening though, Len can tell.

They return to Roy's place after Evan pushes his meal away.

Evan asks when he can come home. He just sounds so... _raw_. Looks like Strange was right about that.

"Whenever you want. That's how it's always been," Len says, trying to make it sound retroactive, "Roy knows what he's doing, and it's good idea for you stay here for now, but you can come and visit any time you want."

Evan's got his arms wrapped around his chest, hugging himself. As much as Len would like to reassure him some more, Evan's got to give something back too.

"N-no drugs," Evan promises with an audible swallow.

Len's expecting Evan's next move and it _still_ takes him by surprise. Ten years to get used to hugs and he still hasn't managed it.

Evan goes inside Roy's apartment and Len heads back to Keystone feeling inexplicably lighter.

* * *

><p><strong>And life goes on<strong>

Evan's looking a lot healthier when he visits a month later. There's still something... _fragile_ about the way he holds himself and moves, but the circles under his eyes are lighter and he's put on some much-needed weight.

It's only for the weekend and things go well. It doesn't look like Evan's going to be moving back right now, but he's getting there. It's his eighteenth in a few months, maybe he'll be ready by then.

Either way, as much as Len's still pissed that Evan fell into that habit, he's proud his son got out of it.

Though... Father's an ex-con. Brother's an ex-junkie. Len starts wondering what Axel's going wind up with...


	8. Christmas with Another Nephew

**Christmas with Another Nephew** - _Lisa comes home for Christmas._

_AN: Something a bit more lighthearted than the last few chapters. Please note I uploaded this chapter and the last at about the same time, sorry for any confusion._

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><p>A month before Christmas Lisa makes her usual call to Len to set things up. She didn't used to visit for the holidays, but then one year Len had phoned up and asked if she could set a side a few days so she could meet her nephew.<p>

This year Len asks her if she could buy some presents for another nephew too.

Lisa agrees and hangs up. She's found that as long as there are children around, or they keep the calls short, they can get along to some extent. Lisa doesn't care for Len and Len doesn't care for Lisa, but they're _family_, and as such should make some effort during the festive season.

Lisa's glad of the distraction of another nephew, it might make Len a little less likely to kill her new husband over Christmas dinner.

Lisa had conveniently forgotten to mention Roscoe over the phone. Well, it could just be a surprise. No sense worrying about it now.

She's got shopping to do.

The build-up to Christmas happens as it usually does, that is, quickly and without warning. Before she knows it, Roscoe's calling for Lisa to hurry up or the taxi will leave without them. In what feels like no time at all they arrive in Keystone City and navigate the streets to Len's apartment.

Lisa raps sharply on the door. She can hear voices and footsteps, then the door is flung open to reveal a grinning, brown-haired, eleven-year-old boy.

Evan is, as always, delighted to see her. Lisa's well aware that it mostly stems from presents arriving when she does, but she'll take what she can get from her nephew. Evan's gaze is drawn to the bags of presents Lisa's carrying, then up to Roscoe with a frown.

It begins.

Lisa introduces Roscoe and Evan, and they are finally let into the apartment.

Lisa reminds herself that it's _Christmas_, and her thoughts on the décor of Len's new apartment should stay in her head until tomorrow at least. It's simple and stark. Very much a man's place, without a hint of a woman's touch. Lisa decides that she'll do her best to make it much more homely while her visit lasts.

A familiar cursing tells her Len's just dropped something further into the apartment. Some things never change.

And some things do. A blond boy a good few inches shorter than Evan, is standing in the living room and looking at her and Roscoe with a mixture of defiance and trepidation.

That would be Axel, Len's other kid. He's a cutie. Lisa immediately knows she will be taking him shopping as soon as possible. Len tries his best, but he really doesn't know a thing about fashion.

Then there's Len, who has just emerged from one of the back rooms. His face hardens when he catches sight of Roscoe. Lisa quickly sets the children and Roscoe to sorting the presents, while she whisks Len back into the other room before he can start complaining.

They're both trying not to get into a full-blown shouting match, having declared Christmas Day as a truce since Evan appeared four years ago. Now its possibly even more important to stay civil, with both Roscoe and Axel unsure of tradition and protocol during a Snart gathering.

The argument is familiar ground. Len doesn't approve of Lisa's boyfriend. Lisa tells Len he needs to get laid. Len insults Roscoe's face. Lisa insults Len's apartment. Len tells Lisa she needs to be smarter around men. Lisa pointedly asks if any new children have come to light.

They're just getting into dangerous territory when Evan pokes his head in the room and asks if they're going to get to open presents _this_ Christmas. That's as good a reminder as any that they only started celebrating Christmas together for his sake.

They don't shake hands and make up, they're not that sort of family, but Len doesn't insult Roscoe as soon as they return to the living room. In return Lisa doesn't start a line of inquiry on the subject of Axel's mother.

Most of the presents are for Evan and Axel. When it comes down to it, the day's more about the kids than the adults. Axel's still unsure of Lisa and Roscoe, but it's more calculating than Evan when he first met Lisa. Roscoe slowly relaxes, even managing to hold a bit of conversation with Len occasionally. Len himself is splitting his time between watching the proceedings in the doorway and making dinner.

Since Evan had appeared four years ago, Len had realised – no doubt due to nagging from his newer, law-abiding friends – he couldn't bring up a child on take-away and microwave-dinners, and had started to actually cook real food a few times a week.

It is still far below the quality Lisa has on a daily basis from the hotels she stays in, but so far it hasn't harmed either child and Evan has been eating it for over four years. There wasn't any point using Len as a test for food safety, considering what he could hold down.

Besides, there was something nostalgic about it, reminding Lisa of the first year Evan had been around and Len had burnt half the food and undercooked the rest. He'd almost given up, and would have if Evan hadn't saved the trifle from the freezer and put it in the fridge where it belonged.

Now, plenty of swearing, mistakes, and learning later, Len could cobble together a decent roast.

Things are going quite well, until Axel makes a comment about Lisa and Roscoe being married over dessert. They hesitate just a little too long before denying it and even Evan picks up on what they aren't saying. Not that Evan isn't a bright boy, he just tends to be a little distracted most of the time.

Len shuts down. It's hard to tell if you didn't know him, but Lisa knows. Part of her knew this would happen. Ever since Evan appeared, Len's had this odd idea of family that Lisa's never quite grasped.

Not even _mentioning_ your wedding to your brother wasn't very family-friendly, Lisa could admit to herself.

Axel's got this pleased look on his face. Len had mentioned offhand that the kid didn't like lies or tricks. Evan's looking torn between excitement for new family and worry for his dad.

Lisa can see the silent count to ten running through Len's head. He manages to crack a smile and offers his congratulations to the pair. Axel continues to eat his dinner, but Evan comes and shakes 'Uncle Roscoe's hand and welcomes his to the family.

Just last year it would've been a hug, Lisa suddenly realises what Len means when he mentioned that the kids are growing up too fast.

There's an ice-rink nearby that Lisa used to practise on when she was young. As per recent tradition, she obtained the key from the owner before she arrived and the five of them head off during the evening for some skating.

Lisa's the best, of course, closely followed by Roscoe.

Len's always steadier on the ice than Lisa expects and had they been able to afford more than one pair of skates when they were younger, he might have been good enough to get into one of the hockey teams in the area.

Evan's distracted, as always, but gamely keeps trying. He does enjoy it, even if he eventually decides that he's had enough of falling over and holds onto Len's arm to keep himself upright. Lisa's impressed, Evan lasted on his own twenty minutes longer than normal.

Axel's surprisingly good, once he's gotten over his initial wobbles. Smart, cute, and good on the ice, Lisa's beginning to consider asking Len if he'd let Axel go on tour with her and Roscoe. Obviously the blond hair and skating genes prefer the second-born in the Snart family.

Len manages to corner Roscoe while Lisa's buying mulled wine for the adults and warm gingerbread for the children at one of the stalls that stay open on Christmas Day. Lisa lets him have five minutes before she interrupts. Len's looking more pleased than before as he accepts a polystyrene cup of mulled wine. Roscoe's looking a little wary, but thankfully not all that scared. Good. He wouldn't be the man she thought he was if he got frightened away by Len.

It's getting late when they start heading back. Despite all the sugar they've eaten, the kids are tired. Axel's visibly drooping and Evan's had to stifle a yawn or two.

They reach a road where Len and his kids are going one way back to his apartment, while Lisa and Roscoe are heading another for their hotel. Axel's leaning heavily on Len and only gives his aunt and uncle a sleepy wave, but Evan shakes Roscoe's hand again and gives Lisa a sideways hug. Len shakes Roscoe's hand with what looks like a considerable amount of grip, judging by Roscoe's wince.

Goodbyes are said and the group splits in two.

Roscoe is looking exhausted by the time they get back to the hotel room. He admits that Lisa's family was a little more intense than he was expecting. Lisa can't help the grin as she outlines the truce she and Len came up with for Christmas, oh and that they would be seeing them tomorrow as well. Without any incentive to stay civil.

Roscoe groans and declares he married a truly evil woman with a truly evil family.

Lisa just grins and starts putting together a shopping plan for tomorrow. Axel and Evan need spoiling and Len needs an apology in alcohol form. Normally Lisa wouldn't bother with her brother, but she doesn't want him taking it out on Roscoe. There's only so much she can ask her husband to put up with over the holidays after all.

As Lisa starts to pull the curtains closed she thinks over the day and how much fun it had been. She pauses, curtains half open, as she wonders if that's what Len feels like about his kids all the time. Nuisances, but family. The nice sort.

It's not enough to make her want kids of her own, but Lisa starts to wonder if Len wouldn't mind them visiting for the boys' birthdays during the year.


	9. Listening to Another Voice

**Listening to Another Voice** - _Hartley knew he wasn't supposed to wander off the garden path, but this boy, with mud on his face and leaves in his hair and a funny voice, was promising that it would be ok._

_Warnings: Heavy Scots ahead_

_I've also done a picture of Len, Evan, and Axel: _http:/useless175[dot]deviantart[dot]com/#/d4rsqcf

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><p>Hartley's five the first time he hears his own name.<p>

Things don't make sense for a long time. He still makes the trips to that clean, white building and gets looked after by a woman he _knows_ isn't his mother, but it's all accompanied by loud noises that suddenly appeared one day in a lifetime of silence.

There's a lot of catch-up work, with lots of different people. It's difficult, but Hartley quickly learns to speak. Finally he can communicate with others, _without_ moving his hands, which only a few people understood before.

When Hartley's six he starts being allowed to wander the gardens by himself. His nanny reminds him to come back when he's called and goes off around the side of the house to have a smoke.

Hartley isn't supposed to get mud on his clothes, so he carefully walks between the flowerbeds and stays away from the decorative pond. He tried to go swimming in it once, but almost drowned.

There's a rustling in the bushes.

Hartley has seen squirrels running across the lawn from the windows before, but there's never any about when he is. He goes still, hoping that the squirrel decides to show itself. There's some more rustling then the thing emerges.

It's not a squirrel.

It's a boy.

A tall, muddy boy with holes in his jeans and leaves in his hair. He grins and beckons Hartley over. Hartley stays where he is.

"It's ok," the boy says in a voice unlike any Hartley has ever heard, "Just fer a wee wily."

When Hartley doesn't move, the boy pulls some crumbled cookies out of a pocket and offers them. Hartley finally follows the boy into the bushes.

It's like a whole new world. The bushes lead into a thicket of spindly trees. The sun can't quite get through the leaves and there's a green tint to the area. There isn't grass on the ground, it's just dirt.

There's another boy, this one with blond hair, waiting for them. He's also got dirt on his elbows and knees.

"Dad's gonna go spare," the blond boy warns in a sing-song voice.

"Naw," the boy with the funny voice replies, "We'll be back afair he ken."

Hartley doesn't know what's going on. He chews on his cookie and stays quiet.

"So that's him?" the blond boy asks, nodding at Hartley.

"Must be. Only wain around," the boy with the funny voice says, "What's yer name?" he asks Hartley.

"Hartley," Hartley says.

"_Yelch_," the boy with the funny voice scrunches up his nose, "Glad they didnae pick mine."

"Who're you?" Hartley asks, using up his small build-up of courage.

"Evan," the boy with the funny voice replies, "And tha's Axel."

"Give them something to find us with why don't you," Axel mutters, "You should've used the code-names I came up with."

"I'm no callin' ye _Trickster_," Evan says, "And what kinda name's _Mirror_?"

"They're _code_-names, stupid," Axel shoots back.

They start arguing. Hartley wonders if he should leave. He's just about to when they apparently settle things and turn back to face him.

"How's Emma?" Evan asks, "Or Matthew?"

Hartley doesn't know who he's on about.

"The maid and the cook," Evan elaborates.

Hartley shakes his head. He doesn't know anyone except his tutors and nanny.

Evan sinks to the ground, looking dispirited.

"Cheer up," Axel says, "You've got the kid if you want to mess with him."

Evan gets a peculiar look on his face as he looks at Hartley. "Hey, Hart, how often d'you see yer parents?" he asks.

Hartley shakes his head and mumbles, "Not often."

"Cannae do nowt right, can they," Evan says, shaking his head too.

"You're not gonna do anything?" Axel asks incredulously, "You dragged me all the way out here for _nothing_?"

"_Wheesht_," Evan hisses, "Yer gonna get us caught. Look, I think I remember a way into the kitchen from out here. We just need to make sure naebody's watching."

They run over a plan. Hartley's torn between finding somebody he knows and going along with these kids. He doesn't get to play with other children very often after all.

Well, nobody's called for him yet. Hartley decides he's in the clear.

The plan isn't complicated and soon all three boys are sneaking across the gardens through the bushes to the house. Evan leads them to a side door Hartley hadn't even known existed.

Evan tries the handle, but it's locked. He tugs fruitlessly at the door until Axel shoves him out of the way.

"Let me do it," Axel says, pulling a few bits of metal with funny shapes on the ends out of his pocket.

He slides them into the lock and starts twisting them carefully.

"Does dad know you can do that?" Evan asks, leaning on the door frame.

"They're _his_ picks," Axel replies, his tongue poking out between his teeth in concentration, "If he didn't want me to learn, he shouldn't have left them lying around."

"'Lying around' bein'... where exactly?" Evan prompts.

"Somewhere I could find them," Axel says.

There's a _click_ and Axel removes the picks. He tries the handle and this time the door opens.

Evan's first through the door. Axel shoos Hartley in then follows after and shuts the door behind them. The lights inside aren't as bright as the sunshine and Hartley has to take a few blinks to get used to it and look at the room they've ended up in.

It's large and warm. There are lots of cupboards and work surfaces, Evan hoists himself up onto a surface and swings his feet. There's also a stove, which Hartley's only ever seen in picture books before. Axel makes a beeline to the fridge and looks inside.

Hartley's caught between wanting to explore and not getting in trouble. He's fairly certain someone's going to catch them any second now.

Axel gives a whoop and emerges from the fridge with a large trifle. Evan hops down from the counter as Hartley's earlier worry comes true and a portly man with a thick moustache enters the room through another door.

"What the – get your grubby paws out of my kitchen!" the man shouts at Axel, "How did you even – I... I don't believe it..." his voice has gotten much quieter, "Young master Evan?"

The man's staring at Evan with disbelief clear on his face. Evan smiles and waves.

"Hey, Matthew," Evan says, "How's it goin'?"

"It's been so long since I've seen you," Matthew says, "You've grown so much."

Evan's starting to look embarrassed. Axel's sniggering.

"So," Evan says, rubbing the back of his head, "What's Emma up to?"

Matthew's face falls. "She left. Six months after you did," he says, "Couldn't stand the way things were."

They start talking about things that Hartley can't really follow, so instead he watches Axel find a spoon and start eating the trifle straight from the bowl. Axel notices him watching and waves him over, producing another spoon for Hartley to use.

Hartley's not all that sure of Axel, he's not a nice as Evan is, but the offer of trifle is too good to ignore.

"You know..." Axel says, looking over Hartley with an appraising gaze, "You're the reason Evan didn't grow up here."

"I am?" because that's the first Hartley's ever heard of it. He can't remember doing anything to get rid of another kid.

"But then, if you hadn't come about I probably wouldn't be living with dad right now and I wouldn't have Evan for a brother..." Axel says. He looks over Hartley again, his gaze not quite a harsh this time, "And he doesn't blame you..."

Hartley just shoves a spoonful of trifle into his mouth. He doesn't know what to say. The situation's a little more complicated than he's used to dealing with.

"I guess you're good in my book," Axel finally says, "Welcome to the family."

Hartley blinks. "You're not family," he says, "Family means lots of stuffy people and boring dinners."

Axel laughs, drawing Evan and Matthew's attention. Matthew frowns when he catches sight of the demolished trifle and the custard around Hartley's mouth. Evan doesn't care and moves over to steal Hartley's spoon and eat some trifle himself.

"'Sgood," Evan says through a mouthful of fruit.

"Alright, enough," Matthew says, clapping his hands, "Off with you now. I've got a dinner to prepare and another trifle to make."

"We're goin'," Evan says, "Gotta get home afair dad does anyway. An' Hart," he ruffles Hartley's hair, "Ye ever wanna piss off yer maw an' paw, tell 'em '_yer aff yer heid_'. That'll get 'em in right straights."

Hartley does his best to repeat what he was told. He's quite good at copying inflection closely after all his catch-up work.

"A natural," Evan says proudly, "Well, we're off."

"Good luck with the boring dinners, kid," Axel says, also messing up Hartley's hair.

Evan and Axel leave through the side door, though not before Axel nabs an apple on his way past the fruit bowl. Hartley waves goodbye and presses his face against the window until they vanish into the hedgerow.

It's almost like a fairy story.

Matthew sighs behind Hartley, who's suddenly aware of the custard still around his mouth and the fact that he's pretty sure he's not supposed to be here. However, when he turns to look at Matthew, the man has a fond smile on his face.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Matthew says, "And then, as punishment for eating my trifle..." he trails off and Hartley cringes. Matthew chuckles and finishes, "You will have to help me make a new one."

Hartley can't believe his ears. That's not a punishment, he'd already been considering asking about that in the first place.

Hartley clambers onto the stood Matthew pulls up for him and gets put to stirring a warm bowl of custard until it cools down. Matthew's stood next to him and is peeling and slicing kiwis with movements quicker than Hartley can follow.

"I made a promise," Matthew says quietly, "And I almost forgot it."

He waves off Hartley's confusion and keeps his attention on the fruit, though his expression has grown much more serious.

Hartley's just starting to enjoy himself when his nanny bursts in, looking frantic, and Hartley knows his day is just going to get worse from there.

Well, at least it had a good beginning.


	10. Portrait of Another Victim

**Portrait of Another Victim** - _Kyle gets hired by the police to figure out a strange crime. Takes place before Axel appears. Evan's been around for about a year and a half._

_AN: Re-read my first part of this 'verse and a throw-away line decided to get stuck in my head._

* * *

><p><em>The blue collar capital of America.<em>

That's what I've heard about Keystone City. It fits. It's not a _big_ city, but it's a lively one. Plus you can't move for vehicles – cars, motorbikes, vans, trucks, you name it, it's on the streets.

Thankfully it's not all that hard to find the KCPD building amidst all this. I'm heading up the steps when a red-haired guy in overalls bumps into me and knocks my map to the ground. Then, to add insult to injury, he accuses me of crashing into him. I know I'm just on my way to a new job and shouldn't be late, but I'm not about to take that from someone with a greasemark on his forehead.

After the argument, I _am_ late. Plus my map now has a muddy footprint _exactly_ over the route to my motel I'd marked out. I'm fairly confident it would match that guy's shoe perfectly.

Luckily – or not so luckily, depending how you look at it – the cop in charge of assigning me doesn't have a very high opinion of artists anyway. He just grumbles about pretty-boys who've never done an honest day's work and other similar insults that I've got since grade-school.

He shunts me sideways into a department that consists of two guys who bicker like they should be in a sitcom. Chyre and Morillo. I have to tamper down an urge to start sketching newspaper-style strips at everything they say.

They – well, mostly Morillo – finally fill me in on the situation. There's a serial murderer in Keystone and he likes to paint pictures with blood, intestines, and any bit of the human body that's moldable.

A lot more of it is than I would've thought.

Chyre _does_ manage to shove a bucket under my head after Morillo passes me the pictures. Though he follows it up with a derogatory comment on the efficiency of the cleaning staff. I notice the bucket has already been used and badly cleaned.

When I'm done puking my guts out, I start looking through the pictures much more carefully. Pretending it's some modern-art piece lets me keep down the bile.

They're both looking at me expectantly. From what I gather, I'm hardly the first artist they've brought in, but they're running out of money. I'm their best shot at getting this guy shut down without him making a slip-up of his own, and who knows how many more bodies that could take?

I don't want to tell them that I haven't got a clue what the 'paintings' show.

I ask for more time. My only real hope is to try and sketch the 'paintings', maybe then I can see the pattern without being distracted by the gore.

They agree – Morillo agrees, Chyre grumbles – and I dig my sketchpad and a pencil out of my bag and get to work.

It takes a day or two, and lots of paper, but I'm finally beginning to see what the paintings are meant to be of. It's faces. Manga versions of people's face, which is what made them difficult to identify originally.

Unfortunately, in that time, another body is found.

This time I get to see a picture of the victim _before_ she was carved up, as well as the _after_. It takes me a moment to realise why she looks familiar. I open my sketchpad and flip back a few pages.

I drew her.

Or rather, the _killer_ drew her and I sketched a copy.

When I show the cops, they set me drawing out what – _who_ – the new 'painting' shows, while they look over the previous victims and see if they can't find any other matches.

My guess is right. The previous murder points to the next victim. It's the break they've been looking for.

Unfortunately, it's still hard work matching up a picture of blood and gore to a real person, especially in the style it's painted in.

It's still a lead though. Morillo offers me a lift as he pulls his coat on. They're going to head over to the city on the other side of the river – apparently it's got better technology and analysts – and I'm heading back to the motel, for possibly my last night in Keystone.

However, when we enter the garage, that West guy is buried up to his elbows in the guts of Chyre's car. He's chatting to a boy, who can't be West's, not unless the guy was a teen-dad – and a _young_ teen-dad – or something.

West notices us and extracts himself, glaring at all three of us. I assume the one for Chyre and Morillo is for trashing the car in the first place, while the one for me is for me just being me. I'd bumped – sometimes literally – into the guy a few times since my first day and things hadn't gone any better than the first time. We just rub each other up the wrong way, I'm not entirely sure why.

The kid either doesn't notice the tension, or just doesn't care, because he picks up a piece of machinery from the car and asks West what it is. West's face is pure exasperation as he takes the piece and reminds the kid that he's not supposed to just pull things out because what if they're important?

The kid – Evan, and Scottish from the sounds of it – looks completely unimpressed by West's chastisement. Morillo's already moving further into the garage to ask West's boss for another car to borrow. Chyre waits with me, while West gets back to work.

Evan wanders over, wiping oil-stained hands on his already-dirty jeans. He doesn't look at Chyre much, but he asks me who I am. I tell him my name and profession. I've got some kid-friendlier pictures in the front of my sketchpad and start showing them to him.

We share a stifled laugh behind Chyre's back when I show him the few strips I did of him and Morillo – yes I had to, it was just too good to pass up. I catch a glower or two from West, but since I'm not actually doing anything wrong, he can't get Evan away from me without looking too much like the bad guy.

Morillo comes back, looking almost as grumpy as Chyre on a good day. He says there aren't any spare cars, so it looks like they're bumming a lift off some other cops or taking public transport. Either way, I'm best making my own way to the motel.

I say goodbye to the cops and Evan. I even give West a nod, not that he's looking. I'm halfway to the door when I hear a rustle of paper and a confused voice.

"Is that a picture of my dad?"

Everyone goes still, then looks over at Evan. He's holding up my latest drawing and frowning at it.

I feel my heart stop. _No_. Please say they get this guy or my picture's wrong. Just don't say this kid has to lose his father because of someone I could've stopped earlier if I'd been quicker to figure things out.

Chyre takes the picture out of Evan's hands and comments that, now he's looking for it, it does look a little like 'Snart'. West leans over and agrees, then he demands why they've got a picture of 'Len'.

Neither I nor the cops want to say anything with Evan around.

West gets the gesture Morillo's making over Evan's head and pales. He scrambles for his cell phone and starts to call someone – presumably the man who might be the next victim. Evan's looking bewildered and a little scared.

Evan slowly asks – while West mutters "_pickuppickuppickup_" in the background – if they want to arrest his dad. Chyre says that's not the case. Evan's now looking even more confused.

West snaps his phone shut and says he's not getting an answer.

There's a moment of silence, then West goes into action. I have to hand it to the guy, he's good at what he does. His hands are almost a blur as he shoves what looks like half the garage floor into the bonnet of a different car to the one he was working on earlier. Within a few minutes he gets behind the wheel and starts the engine.

It _purrs_.

Somehow or other, we all end up in the car. I'm not sure I'm really supposed to be along, but no one's raised any protests yet. In fact, Evan's clutching my arm so tight I'm beginning to fear for my circulation. Morillo's in the passenger side seat, while West's driving us like a lunatic. Chyre ended up in the back seat on the other side of Evan and keeps up a continuous grumble about how West gives him hell for driving twice as safe as the mechanic is currently.

Morillo suddenly calls a stop and is out of the car before it has barely finished moving. I see signs of a fight – a fresh bloodstain on the bricks, a broken fence – and find myself grappling with the seatbelt before I'm even thinking about it.

It's only once I reach the end of the alley and hear a soft whimper from behind me that I even think about where Evan had ended up. The kid's followed the rest of us onto a pretty gruesome scene.

There's a man slumped against the alley wall and a dustbin, with another man crouched over him. Blood's freely dripping from a knife in the crouching-man's hand and he's rambling what sounds like nonsense to me, despite what looks like a broken nose.

I'm willing to bet that's our serial killer.

West rushes at the man with the knife, the cops only a moment behind him. I clutch Evan's shoulder and stop him running into the fray. I'm not sure if I'd be any use when it's already three-against-one and _someone's_ got to look after the kid.

The fight's over soon enough. Thankfully. Keeping Evan out of it was surprisingly difficult, he's a squirmy little guy when he puts his mind to it. The minute the cops have the handcuffs on our serial killer I let Evan pull us both over to where West's helping the injured guy to his feet.

Huh, he _does_ look somewhat like my drawing.

He's also got one arm clamped against his stomach and the other over West's shoulders. There's quite a bit of blood, but Evan doesn't notice as he runs towards his father. I keep an eye on the police and their suspect while I trail the kid.

West's managed to get out his cell phone and starts calling for an ambulance, as Evan carelessly grabs his father's arm and causes the man to let out a hiss of pain. Evan immediately lets go and backs into me with a stream of '_sorry_'s.

His father looks at me and asks if I'm a cop in a voice that couldn't be heavier with mistrust if he tried. When West tells him that I'm an artist he actually gives me a nod.

Chrye and Morillo stuff the killer into the back of the car and head for the station – _after_ West makes them promise that they'll return the vehicle in one piece. The ambulance comes after another awkward ten minutes. Evan's father sets up an arrangement for Evan with West while we're waiting.

In the end, it's me, West, and Evan left in the blood-splattered alley. Evan's got a tight hold of one of my hands and one of West's. He's not letting go, so West gives a resigned sigh and offers a drink and a sofa to sleep on.

Even if Evan hadn't been cutting off the blood supply to my fingers, I think I still would've agreed. There's just something about seeing an incident that horrible without the comfort of knowing it happened in make-believe TV land.

West's house is nicer than I would've pegged him for. Then we get out of the taxi and through the front door and I get why. He's married. Or I sincerely hope he is, because no self-respecting bachelor should have _that_ many pairs of lady's shoes in his hall.

Evan runs upstairs as soon as his shoes are off. He's more familiar with the place than I thought he would be. West starts talking about how he spends quite a bit of time here, more to fill the silence than to actually make conversation.

Evan trots back down a few minutes later, when me and West have each gotten a drink. The kid is dragging a quilt with one hand and his other arm is hugging a pillow. He shoves the pillow at Wally, who's already on the couch, then drags me over too. I don't need West's look to know to indulge the boy and let him take a seat between me and West and spread the quilt over all of us.

I'd normally have ascribed such behaviour to a much younger kid, but he's had a bit of a scare and I can put up with West long enough to let Evan get over his fright. Though, that said, it could be the remains of the fight-or-flight instinct talking, but the guy isn't nearly as obnoxious as I've gotten used to.

Evan crashes pretty quickly and West enlists my help getting him upstairs and into a proper bed. On the way back downstairs, West grabs a spare blanket for me to use and I set myself up on the couch. He gives me a quiet '_thanks_' and I give him a nod.

I get woken up by Evan, while West's talking with someone over the phone. Once he hangs up he tells me he left his car at the station, so he can't give me a lift, but he's taking Evan to the hospital before he goes to work, so if I want to split a cab he'd be fine with that.

I tell him that's fine and eat some breakfast while listening to Evan replay the crazier bits of West's driving last night. West has the grace to look a little contrite, but a grin keeps slipping through.

Evan does most of the talking in the taxi. The longer he goes on, the more words I don't quite pick up and have to ask him to repeat. West does a much better job than me, but I catch him looking confused when Evan includes '_scunnurt_' in one of his ramblings.

The taxi drops West and Evan off first, then takes me to my motel. I persuade the driver to wait and pack my things quickly. I then direct the driver to KCPD and walk into the building for possibly the last time.

Chyre's not there when I push open the office door. Morillo thanks me for my help, but it's clear he's got a whole load of other cases to deal with and can't spare me much time. He does mention that the killer's been put away and is awaiting trial, though with a surviving victim for a witness it's going to be a snap locking him up for good.

It's not that far to Keystone's train station and it doesn't take me long before I'm heading back to New York. I flip open my sketch pad and start putting down ideas for a gift-comic for Evan. It'll keep me occupied on the journey and the kid deserves something nice after that hellish night.


	11. Taking on Another Job

**Taking on Another Job** - _Axel's latest job takes him in the last direction he expects. Takes place about seven years after 'Coping with Another Stage'._

_AN: Hey there, it's been a while from this 'verse. Been sitting on this chapter for a while, mostly because it's setting up a lot of other chapters that I've not finished yet. Still, enjoy._

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><p>Axel likes his job.<p>

He'd never thought he'd find something suited to him, but when _Wally_ of all people suggested he should put his skills to some sensible use, Axel had shrugged and decided '_why not_'.

Axel hadn't gone to college. Not that he couldn't have afforded it – push come to shove he could've gotten a loan off Mark, who occasionally managed an impressive haul – he just didn't feel like it was his thing. Instead, Axel started working on gaining a PI license while saving up money from the odd jobs he took.

Now, here he is, a detective in his own right, with an office and everything. He's even got one of those long coats they wear in old-timey films. Evan got for him as a joke, but turned out to be surprisingly comfortable and with a useful number of pockets.

Hell, he's even got business cards Iris Allen printed up for him. Originally it had been Josh's idea, then Bart had gotten involved and Axel had expected everything to blow up. However, Iris had interceded and had presented Axel with a box of five hundred the next day.

Considering Evan's habit of stealing them whenever he visits Axel, five hundred will probably vanish in no time.

Axel doesn't usually visit the Central City police department, but today he's got a potential client that he wants to run a background check on. Barry's nice enough to let Axel into his lab and talk over his work. Even at twenty-two, Barry still treats Axel like he's twelve.

Barry and Len have an almost rivalry over Axel. Barry's convinced he's helped turn Axel into a solid citizen – and that Axel's job reflects that – while Len's convinced no one from the police department ever did anything worthwhile.

Axel's never told Barry that one of the reasons he got into the detective business is because of all the tricks he picked up from Len (knowing how a criminal thinks rather than how people think they think is handy). Just as he's never told Len that Barry's position in the police has given him just as many helpful resources.

When Barry leaves to drops off a report with his supervisor, Axel cracks his fingers and gets to work.

Given Barry's habit of talking to everyone he meets whenever he goes anywhere, Axel's confident he's got about half an hour for what should be a simple five minute trip. It's still a good idea to work quickly though.

Barry's password is easy enough to guess (Ir1s_J0sh_B4rt) and Axel's logged into CCPD's system. He types in his client's name and sends the results to the printer without much more than a skim-read.

Out of curiosity – and the fact that it's only been ten minutes since Barry left – Axel types in his dad's name. A scowling picture of Len appears, one that couldn't be more than a few years older than Evan is now. Axel sends the results to the printer again.

He's stuffing the papers into his coat and is just about to log off, when another name from the search results catches his eye.

'Lawrence Snart'. There's a badge-number with it from before Len was born. Axel opens the file. There isn't a date of death, which is odd, because Len's always said his parents were dead. There's only a few notes and none of them good. Axel scribbles down the address and logs off.

Just in time, as Barry returns to the lab, apologising profusely.

Axel spends another twenty minutes hanging around, even though he's fidgeting to leave. He doesn't want to make Barry suspicious and restrict his access to CCPD's equipment.

Once outside, Axel checks the address and heads off.

Central City trailer park makes Axel glad of the fact that Len's always had enough money to keep a reasonable apartment while he's had Axel and Evan. It's not exactly a garbage dump, but it's not far off.

Axel finds the correct trailer, puts on his best I'm-important-trust-me smile, and knocks on the door.

There's a few thumps and muffled noises, then the door is opened by an old guy. He's glaring at Axel through bloodshot eyes. There's some resemblance to Len, and there's even a little similarity to Evan if Axel looks right. Though Len's kept himself in reasonable shape, while this man evidently hasn't.

"Lawrence Snart?" Axel asks, pitching his voice towards official and holding up a police badge, "Barry Allen, from CCPD. I'm here to ask you a few questions."

Snart – and he _is_ Snart, rather than Lawrence, unlike Len who's always been Len – eyes the badge, but doesn't find anything wrong with it. As he shouldn't, since Axel lifted it off Barry earlier. If pressed for more ID, Axel also has an old driver's licence of Barry's that he's doctored.

It'll probably get him in trouble one day, but for now, it works well enough.

"Can I come in?" Axel pushes.

Snart grunts and moves back into the trailer. Axel follows. So this was Len's childhood home? And Lisa's, which is more unbelievable if Axel's honest with himself. Axel couldn't swing a cat in here. Alive _or_ dead.

"Mr Snart, would you mind answering my questions?" Axel asks.

"Get on with it," Snart says, taking a seat in front of the tv and not looking at Axel.

"It's about your son," Axel says.

"What's the worthless brat done now?"

"There's been controversy over a theft he committed early on in his career," Axel says, keeping his face neutral to avoid showing that he's pulling facts out of thin air, "Possibly while he was still living here."

"He didn't start that while he was here," Snart says, "I don't know what you're expecting to find, 'cause there's nothing you'll get here."

"It's more to do with his children," Axel says, "And whether or not he's a fit guardian."

Snart barks out a laugh and looks at Axel like he's crazy. "I wouldn't trust Lenny with a dog, let alone a kid. He knock up some tart then?"

Axel bites his tongue, but manages to get the right words out, "Your son has two children, both boys. I'm surprised you haven't heard of them before."

"You don't know me or Lenny very well, do you?" Snart snorts, "Figures you're a rookie cop who's trying to find a fast-track to the top. It ain't gonna happen, and certainly not with me."

"Are you not interested in meeting your grandchildren, Mr Snart?" Axel asked.

"What's it to you?" Snart says, "Not like the brats are gonna be any better than Lenny ever was. Always crying and saying stupid things. Take my advice, you don't ever want kids, no matter how much the wife offers good sex for them."

"I'm not married," it's not the smartest thing to come out of Axel's mouth, but he's unsure where he wants the conversation to go now. He's beginning to understand why Len didn't want them meeting his father.

"Playin' the field? Sensible lad," Snart says with approval, "You done here?"

"I... yes," Axel says, heading for the door, "Thank you for your time, grandfather."

He's some distance away from the trailer when Snart yells at him to stop. Axel does so. He's not sure he wants to turn around and face his grandfather.

"You're one of Lenny's brats?" Snart asks, "You don't look it. And takin' after me – bein' on the right side of the law an' all – can't imagine Lenny'd be very happy with that."

"My dad supports my decision," Axel says, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Come off it," Snart snorts, "Lenny hates cops."

Axel spins around and pulls out his harshest you-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about glare.

"You don't know my dad," Axel says decisively, "You don't know _me_."

"And whose fault is that?" Snart spits, "It's not like Lenny took the time to introduce me to his spawn."

"Maybe if you'd been a better father he might've," Axel shoots back.

"I don't know you, but you don't know me," Snart snarls, "I did what I could for my kids. Shame it only worked on one of them."

Axel almost asks when he thinks is wrong with Lisa, before he realises Snart meant he'd failed with _Len_. Lisa's achieved international fame with her skating and being the wife of Central's mayor, which almost everyone knows. Len, on the other hand, has a rap list the length of Axel's arm and nothing to show for his change of heart.

"My father is a good man," Axel says determinedly, "He raised me and my brother and did it _well_." Ignoring Evan's old habits and Axel's own rap sheet, of course. "I just wanted to see why he never introduced us. Guess I got my answer."

"Listen here, you brat," Snart says, grabbing Axel's shoulder and giving him a shake, "I don't know if you're even telling the truth. In fact I think you're a fuckin' liar. You don't look a thing like Lenny, you don't even have his last name – if Barry Allen _really_ is your name. Bet it ain't."

"Let go of me," Axel says.

Snart gives him another shake. "Gonna answer me, boy?"

Axel balls his hand into a fist then slams it into Snart's face.

A good few years ago Len had given both Axel and Evan some advice for if – _when_ – they got into fights. One of the things he'd mentioned was that if you wanted to break someone's nose you were better off hitting upward with the heel of your palm. More likely to actually break it and less chance of you damaging your own hand with an incorrectly driven punch.

Axel doesn't care what's right, he's doing this because he wants to _hurt_ Snart, not because he wants to _damage_ him. It's a hell of a lot more satisfying using a fist than an open hand.

Snart lets go of Axel and he runs.

Axel doesn't heed the shouts for him to stop and runs until he can't run any further. Once he's got his breath back and is far enough from the trailer park to calm down a little, Axel digs out his phone and calls home.

"'lo?" answers someone around a yawn.

"Hey, Owen," Axel says, "Can you put Len on?"

"Jus' a minute. _LEN_."

There's a fair amount of muffled conversation and the phone gets dropped more than once, but finally Len gets ahold of it.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, dad," Axel says.

"You know I'm on early shifts, right?" Len says tiredly, "This couldn't have waited?"

"No."

"You in trouble?" Len asks and his voice has gotten sharper, more focussed.

"No, it's nothing dangerous, dad," Axel replies, "It's just, I was in Barry's lab today –" there's a muffled snort on the other end of the line, "– and I saw something on the computer. Why didn't you tell us our grandfather was still alive?"

"Because he doesn't deserve to be," Len says harshly, "I don't want either of you meeting him."

"He can't be _that_ bad," Axel tries.

"_No_," Len says, "Don't even think about it, Axel."

Rare is the occasion that Len outright forbids something. Axel's done a lot of stupid shit over the years, which school counsellors and the like tend to put the blame at Len's feet for not discouraging in the first place, but then Axel's found that about half the stupid shit he did he immediately decided to never do again, because it was just that: _stupid_ shit.

There were the instances, mid-teens, when Axel took up vandalism and petty theft, but not much of that could be linked to him – _none_ of it could since he'd first gotten access to CCPD's records.

Len's rules mostly come down to '_don't be an idiot_' and '_listen up when I've got something important to say_'. This is the latter.

"He raised you," Axel angles, "And you've turned out alright."

"It took me until I was in my thirties to sort my life out," Len says, "And the only reason I'm not sat in jail next to Mark right now is because you two turned up. I got some lucky breaks that had _nothing_ to do with him. I'm not letting him mess either of you up."

Len's sounding frustrated and angry and Axel's beginning to wish Evan wasn't off on holiday with his girlfriend. Evan's always been better at the touchy-feely family stuff. Owen's not going to be any use, he's too emotionally draining, he hasn't quite got the hang of giving back nearly as much as he takes away.

"I just thought..." Axel starts.

"Where's this coming from? You're not Evan," Len says, then it clicks. Occasionally Len shows where Axel's keen insight comes from, "Shit, you've already gone, haven't you?"

"Dad –"

"You didn't think there was a reason I didn't let you meet him?"

"_Dad_ –"

"Are you hurt?"

The question makes Axel tighten his fingers to feel the bruises on his knuckles. "No," he replies, "But dad?"

"What?"

"I'm... glad you turned out... like you did."

There's a pause before Len answers. "Right," his voice has gotten quite gruff, "Were you wanting dinner here tonight?"

It's times like this which make Axel wish he had anything _close_ to Evan's ability to say what he's feeling. Accepting dinner's just about all he can do. Though Len's in the same boat, considering he can only just offer dinner.

"Yeah."

"And Axel?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell Evan."

"Wasn't gonna."

Len believes in family and Axel wouldn't change his brother and dad for anyone else, however they both know the nasty side. Maybe it's because he's never had a blood relative be truly horrible to him, but Evan's got a different picture of things. Naive really.

Maybe it's because he wasn't around when Len was coming to terms with Evan's drug habit. Not that Len lost all ability at parenting, but there is a _reason_ why Axel started picking pockets and graffiti-ing at that age.

Maybe it's because he's a better person than either of them. However, neither Axel nor Len have done anything as hard as what Evan was snorting.

"See you later, dad," Axel says and hangs up.

It's barely half an hour later that Axel has a knock on his office door. He quickly takes his feet off his desk and starts straightening the papers he'd picked up at CCPD earlier.

"Come in," he calls, trying to look professional.

He's found that people can forgive eccentricities while he's out on the job, but first impressions count for a lot in this business. He quickly brushes a pile of comics into a drawer and curses himself for not keeping the office tidier.

The couple who walk in don't belong there. Their clothes are much too rich for the neighbourhood, their bearing too posh. The man shuts the door quickly and his eyes are moving rapidly. He frowns at the mostly-closed blinds and the camera Axel's got on a shelf. The woman dabs at her eyes and takes a seat.

Axel knows who they are and is surprised that he's seeing them in this neighbourhood.

"Mr Walker, correct?" says Osgood Rathaway imperiously, "We have need of your services."


	12. Adjusting to Another Lifestyle

Adjusting to Another Lifestyle - Hartley adjusts to life outside the manor. Takes around the time of 'Taking on Another Job'.

AN: _Why do I keep trying to write confrontations, dammit?_

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><p>The first few steps are strangely liberating.<p>

Hartley lets out a long, unsteady breath and shrugs his bag higher onto his shoulders. He's out of the grounds and no alarms have been raised yet. He starts trudging down the long road toward Keystone City.

It's not the first time he's tried to run away, but Hartley's hoping it'll be the last. He's got a plan this time and food. Sensible food. The chef that had replaced Matthew – five years ago now – was thankfully just as nice toward Hartley. He'd made sure to have lots of 'hypothetical' discussions about what was best for living off without access to good appliances.

Hartley had set off at late evening and it isn't even midnight by the time he reaches Keystone. He starts looking for somewhere to sleep though, the walk having tired him out more than he expected it to. A puddle-filled alley is where Hartley makes his bed tonight.

Soup kitchens are just another way Hartley has to swallow his pride, a couple of weeks in. He doesn't have any food left and even the stench of unwashed masses in the kitchen is far preferable to dumpster diving for scraps. People are loud and knock into Hartley when they pass like he's not there, but there's a heater putting out a meagre waft of warmth and the broth tastes like actual food.

"You might've given me a bit of a run-around," an oddly-familiar voice says, as a man plonks himself down on the bench next to Hartley, "Tried to cover your tracks a bit more. I'm being paid by the day, you know."

Hartley's about to run, but then he realises he knows the man. "Axel?"

"You've gotten tall, squirt," Axel says.

He's right, Hartley's pretty much level with him when they're sitting down. It's been years since Hartley's seen Axel, or Evan. He wonders if something more than them just growing up happened.

However, this isn't exactly the best time to catch up.

"You're going to bring me back, aren't you?" Hartley says.

"I'm not going to be able to afford a new TV otherwise," Axel agrees.

Hartley starts to get up, but Axel tugs his sleeve and he sits back down. He has a feeling that if he tries to make a scene, Axel will find a way to twist things to his advantage.

"I'm not going," Hartley says.

"Yes, you are," Axel says, "Even if you manage to find a way to make a living out here and settle in, they're not going to stop at just me. You're still legally under their guardianship, they can drag you back kicking and screaming if they want to."

Hartley sighs. He knows this, but hearing it makes it sound worse. "So I've got to go back for another year."

"I didn't say that," Axel says, with a grin that Evan once told Hartley meant '_trouble with a capital T_', "You're going back – and it'll be easiest with me – but I'm sure we can arrange something to get you out of there before the day is up."

"Out... permanently?"

There's a stirring of hope that Hartley hasn't felt for a long time. It's been ages since someone was ready to actively help him, instead of not daring to be anything more than passive-aggressive around his parents.

"Remember who you're talking to," Axel says, "If I can't then I'll let you have the money your folks are paying me for this."

"They aren't going to pay you if you talk-back to them on my behalf," Hartley feels he should point out.

"If they don't pay me then I'll need to reconsider my profession," Axel says cockily, "Come on, Hart, where's your sense of fun?"

And there's the taunt that used to get Hartley to do things he would've never considered otherwise. Evan had promised adventure, Axel always promised fun.

"This is a little more serious than tree-climbing or sneaking out for ice-cream," Hartley says, trying to tamper his excitement down and failing, judging by the grin on Axel's face, "...you can really get me out?"

"Cross my heart," Axel says flippantly.

"...ok."

Axel fills the drive to Hartley's home with mindless chatter. Hartley runs over what he wants to say to his parents again and again in his head. The closer they get, the more Hartley's insides seem to be trying to tie themselves up in knots.

The Rathaways' manor has never looked so imposing to Hartley as it does when he makes the walk from the outside gate to the front door. It's frighteningly tall and the sun's cast the place in haunting shadows. Hartley just concentrates on putting one foot in front of the other until he's face to face with the heavy wooden doors.

His knock echoes ominously through the house. Hartley's beginning to think that the entire place was built around scare-tactics in order to give the Rathaways the best advantage available.

Even the way the door creaks open seems to be perfectly designed to sound as unnerving as possible.

By the time Hartley's escorted to his father's study his hands are shaking and he stuffs them in his pockets to stop it showing. Axel's looking completely calm and Hartley nearly hates him for it. But then Axel has no real connection to Osgood Rathaway, except for investigator services rendered. Hartley bets that Axel would be a lot more nervous if he had to confront his own father.

Osgood's sat at his desk, writing something that Hartley can't read upside-down. He doesn't even glance up when the butler announces Hartley and Axel. Hartley's used to it, but Axel's got an impatient look on his face that Hartley recognises as a sign of bad things to come.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" Osgood says harshly without looking up.

Hartley opens and closes his mouth a few times before managing to stutter out, "...I-I only came back to say I'm leaving."

Axel flashes what Hartley hopes is an approving grin. Osgood stops writing and Hartley does his best not to flinch as his father looks up, absolute fury plain on his face.

"_What_?" Osgood snaps.

Hartley's thankful Axel chose to accompany him, there's no way he would've been able to stand up to Osgood without some kind of backup. It's still difficult.

"I'm not staying here," Hartley says, wavering under Osgood's glare, but standing his ground.

"This again?" Osgood snorts. His eyes flick to the side as he properly notices Axel, "You have no right to be here, leave."

Axel coughs and smiles. "There's the matter of my fee..."

"How much?" Osgood barks.

Axel rattles off a number that makes Hartley stare at him, but Osgood just scribbles down the amount on a cheque and hands it over without complaint. Axel puts the cheque into an inside pocket of his coat and gives Hartley a _look_.

"I'm leaving," Hartley says again, though if the eye-roll from Axel is any indication his tone isn't what it was before.

"You have duties as my heir and you will _not_ be seen making a fool of yourself wandering around like some vagrant!" Osgood snaps.

Even though Hartley had been expecting that he feels the words like a slap to the face.

"You don't care that I was mugged twice and nearly killed?" Hartley says, swallowing hard, "You only care if someone sent a photo of it to a newspaper?"

"Hartley," Osgood starts, but his voice hasn't softened in the slightest.

"No," Hartley snaps out, "_No_. I'm not going to listen to someone who doesn't care if I die, just that I die in a way that doesn't look bad. Well there goes my plan of overdosing in a gaybar."

"_Hartley_!" Osgood's sounding _angry_, but Hartley's not paying it attention through his own red haze, "You are a _Rathaway_ and I expect you to _behave_ like one."

"Well maybe I don't want to _be_ a Rathaway any more! Have you considered _that_, father?" Hartley shouts.

"You will behave as deemed appropriate for your station and family!" Osgood shouts, "Or I will never call you my son again!"

Hartley takes an involuntary step backward. There's a perfectly surreal moment when he realises he's not afraid of this man any more. Being on the wrong end of a knife for less than five dollars worth of food was much scarier than Osgood Rathaway's fury.

"Well it looks like we've got a deal," Hartley says quietly, "I'm not your son."

"You think this is a laughing matter, boy?" Osgood snaps, still furious.

"No," Hartley says, with a calm he didn't know he possessed, "I am not going to stop fighting your order. I will run away every chance I get. I will do what I can to ensure the destruction of your company and name." Hartley balls his fists and squeezes his eyes shut, "Unless you disown me. Let me go and leave me alone and the Rathaway name will be safe."

"This is very serious, Hartley," Osgood says, the edge gone from his temper, though he's still far from calm and quiet, "You have been granted wealth and power purely by birthright. Are you truly going to throw all that away because you don't have the sense to point your teenage rebellion in a more constructive direction?"

"Goodbye, Mr Rathaway," Hartley says, turning for the door before his heart can be stomped on further. There's no call for him to stop. Hartley feels himself start to tremble and can't make it stop.

"I'll take my leave too," Axel says, a steely bite to his voice that Hartley hasn't heard before, "After what happened to my brother and Hart here, I pity the next person to be chosen as your heir."

"Get off my property," Osgood snaps, "I didn't pay you for your remarks."

Already, Hartley's forgotten. He lets out a shaky breath and bites his lip, determined to get out of this hell-hole before letting things overwhelm him. There's a hand at Hartley's elbow and Axel's steering him through the manor. Hartley's grateful for the quick pace and keeps his eyes fixed straight ahead. Outside the air feels so much lighter and Hartley gulps it down like he's been trapped underwater. The shaking has stopped and what's left is just a numbness that sinks into every fibre of Hartley's being.

Axel drives Hartley silently through Keystone and eventually parks the car. Hartley jerks out of his daze when they come to a stop and is suddenly quite aware that he has no idea where he is. Axel's already out of the car though, so Hartley fumbles with his seatbelt and gets out.

The car bleeps as it locks behind Hartley and he hurries after Axel. Axel leads him into a building and up a couple of flights of stairs. Axel unlocks one of the doors and swears as it catches on the security chain. He wriggles his hand through the gap and unhooks the chain.

Hartley follows him inside into a messy apartment. Axel shuts the door behind them just as a man emerges from further into the flat.

"You could just knock," the man says scowling at Axel.

"Where's the fun in that?" Axel replies with a grin.

"Who's that?" the man asks, nodding toward Hartley.

"Dad, this is Hartley," Axel says, "Hartley, this is my dad, Len."

Hartley can't see any link to Axel, but Len does look somewhat like his memories of Evan.

"The Rathaway's kid, right?" Len says a dark look overtaking his face.

"Yes, sir," Hartley says.

"Lighten up," Axel says, "He's just been booted out."

Len does relax a little, then he realises why they're there.

"_No_," Len says, folding his arms, "Absolutely not. I'm done with that. _Done_. You hear me?"

"Could've persuaded me if it hadn't been for _Owen_," Axel says with malicious glee.

There's a pause and Hartley finds himself holding his breath.

"Dammit," Len runs a hand over his face and through his hair, "You're a manipulative little shit sometimes, you know that."

Axel just grins and slips through a door into another room – possibly the kitchen from what Hartley saw of the linoleum flooring.

That's left Hartley alone with Len.

Oh dear. Aside from a kid with a funny voice and his little brother, Hartley's never been that great at making a good impression.

"I'm getting too old for this," Len mutters, then he looks over Hartley appraisingly, "Alright, you're in Axel's old room. Dinner's whenever I get around to making it, other meals you'll have to fend for yourself. Let me know if you're allergic or some other shit."

"I don't think so..." Hartley says carefully.

"Good," Len says, gesturing for Hartley to follow him further into the apartment, "No drugs. I don't care if you drink, but you get plastered and throw up anywhere other than the toilet, you're cleaning it up yourself. Hangover or no."

"Yes, sir."

Len looks over his shoulder at Hartley. "It's _Len_, not whatever manners you've learned. They're not gonna do you any good here."

"Yes, s- Len."

"You sticking with 'Hartley'?" Len asks.

"I... I wouldn't know what else to call myself," Hartley replies.

"Hmm," Len shows Hartley into a room cluttered with boxes, "This is it. I'll get Axel to see if he can't shift some of this junk to his own place."

"Thank you," Hartley says, trying to put across all his sincerity, "Really."

"I'm on a four-to-ten at the moment," Len says and if Hartley doesn't know any better, he'd think Len's looking a little embarrassed, "Owen – he's living here as well right now – he's on shifts, this week it's twelve-to-six, next week it's six-to-midnight."

Hartley's confused, but nods along. Len reads his bewilderment and clarifies that he was on about job hours. Hartley puts his bag down near the bed and finds he doesn't know what to do with himself.

He's really... _free_.

Hartley sits down heavily on the bed. Everything's catching up with him at once. He's left home – for real this time. It unlikely he'll ever see his parents again. Or any of the staff at the manor. Or...

Freedom's heavier than he expected.

Len sticks his head out of the door and shouts for Axel. Hartley spends the rest of the afternoon being beaten by Axel at video games. It works well enough as a distraction.

Owen turns out to be another teenager, about the same age as Hartley but taller, his hair's a darker red and he tends to slouch. Hartley hasn't been able to get his story out of Axel or Len, who both make it clear that it's Owen's tale to tell.

Axel leaves after dinner and Owen shuts himself in his room. Hartley dithers for a moment or two, then follows suit, picking through his belongings and sorting what he can.

Hartley can't sleep that night. After tossing and turning for some time, he decides to take a short walk and have a drink of water. The apartment feels even stranger without the lights on and Hartley wishes he'd paid closer attention to where the switches were.

There's footsteps and another person switches the lights on. It's Owen. The other teenage looks as wary as Hartley feels. It's a little awkward, but they both end up with a glass of water, sipping them in silence under the florescent lights.

"So," Hartley's voice cracks and he has to cough to get it working again.

"So," Owen agrees.

"I got disowned by my father," Hartley says, then immediately regrets it.

"Shit, that's rough," Owen says. He gnaws on his knuckle for a few moments before relenting, "My dad's in prison."

"Ouch," Hartley sympathises, "Is he a good dad?"

"I only met him a few months ago," Owen replies, "But he's been great. Last time I saw him outside..."

Owen and Hartley spend a good few hours trading stories. Owen talks about meeting his father for the first time and his job at the cinema. Hartley talks about running away and meeting Evan and Axel as a child.

"Wait, Evan? Axel's brother, Len's kid, and all around cokehead? _That_ Evan?" Owen asks after Hartley mentions Evan for the fifth time.

"Cokehead?"

Hartley's never really had any childhood heroes, but if there was someone who could make a claim to that title, it would have been Evan. Finding out his history of drug abuse from Owen knocks him off the pedestal that Hartley hadn't realised he'd been keeping him on.

Eventually they stop talking and head back to bed. Hartley only sleeps because he's exhausted. His mind kept running until he passed out on the unfamiliar (yet amazingly comfortable after a fortnight of slumming it) bed.

When Hartley wakes up the next day there's voices drifting through the door and the creak of the plumbing. Hartley stretches and gets up. Time to face this new lifestyle and get used to it.


End file.
